In the years since, its population has risen dramatically and now there are some 2000 pairs in the UK and upwards of 80 pairs breeding here, a remarkable expansion given that so many species have declined over the same period.

A new book on this elusive bird has just been published. One of the authors, Anthony Messenger, has carried out thirty years of research on it exclusively in Derbyshire. The Eurasian Hobby, by Richard Sale and Anthony Messenger, published by Snowfinch Books, is now available from the Natural History Book Store.

The elusive nature of the hobby means that it is still not clear whether its population has surpassed that of its near relatives, the merlin and the peregrine. But what is definitely true is that the hobby has a lifestyle like no other raptor. Its wonderfully fast and agile flight as it pursues dragonflies or when chasing avian prey, captivates all who witness its hunting skills. Hobbies use old crow nests in which to lay their eggs but they move nest site almost every year so tracking them down can be difficult.  Hobbies also gravitate to some of our wetland reserves such as Willington Wetlands and Carr Vale in late summer after their chicks have fledged to feed on dragonflies. This is your best chance of seeing one!

Anthony’s field skills are second to none. He will sit for hours hoping to see or hear a hobby to find where they are nesting so that he can monitor how well they are doing and ring any young. In the book, he recounts his experiences and scary moments climbing trees to reach the nests. Richard Sale is a seasoned writer on raptors as well as being a superb photographer. 

Hobbies are remarkable for being one of the few British breeding birds that migrate south of the Equator, the falcons spending more time in Africa than they do in the UK. Their long migratory journeys cover thousands of miles and involve a crossing of the Sahara Desert as well as the Equatorial Rain Forest! These quixotic birds arrive back in the UK in May each year and are gone by October.