Sorry for the late reply. I still have not heard anything definitive nor how the bird is. But I think you and IanF are right - I am told it is a Kestrel. If I can find out any more, I will post.
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Ladies last
A female Common Merganser is following her two male counterparts. They have shown up three days ago, still quite touchy, keeping humans at a safe distance. Nothing like a grey overcast day to accentuate their delicate tones.
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Merlin picked up a pink footed goose.
Must admit I didn’t know there was such a bird. But according to Merlin, common in NW England.
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The last of the 300 suet balls delivered here last November have all been pecked clean by our local feathered friends. Got so used to seeing them mob the feeder i ordered up another 300 which arrived here today.
In addition another suet ball feeder arrived (can be seen in the background) plus a 6 port seed feeder with a ‘no mess’ mix that contains kibbled maize, kibbled wheat, flaked oats, pinhead oats, peanut granules and soya oil. Apparently no husks, and no germinating seeds… 
The 5 suet balls in a solitary feeder usually lasted about a day and a half so will see how it goes with two of them on the go. At least when the great spotted woodpecker visits a feeder the tits can move over to the other one, they’re very intimidated by the size of his beak and tend to stand aside.
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Something I’ve been meaning to sort out for quite a while…
I’ve had several different bird feeders over the years and I bought this one a year ago thinking it should be ok.
As you can see, it’s already a pile of rusty tatty junk. Apart from this, the design is rubbish. The cage around the feeders inside is too close, so the huge ravens/rooks/magpies come along and stuff themselves on the fat balls.
So I set about finding the best quality feeders and whilst at it, mount them on something prettier and closer to my window. I’ve made this;
Two individual feeders with the cage a good distance away. The domes will keep a lot of the rain off.
The brackets are 316 stainless steel. To top the pole off, I bought a cap and then sourced a ball to give a professional finish. Both in brushed stainless. I had to drill a hole in the centre of the cap (which was a pain) and mount the ball using a stainless screw, into the wood.
I used wood preserver and oiled the wood.
The hook attachments are stainless and carbon fibre spacers with butyl rubber washers to stop stress fracturing the domes.
The tray spacer bar and screw holder are both aluminium, again with butyl rubber washers.
The coating on both the feeders are much better than my previous feeders and to make double sure, I dismantled both feeders and sprayed everything with a clear laquer. The seed feeder is a particularly high quality product and in a different league to anything I’ve seen before, both coating and build.
Another advantage of producing the pole, instead of hanging it on my tree, is I’ve placed it exactly in the best viewing place in front of my window, so I can see the birds much better. This is the view from my dining position every evening. Here’s the first bird on it within 5 mins was a great tit. Viewed from my dining chair.
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I like the under-trays, must save a lot of mess falling on the ground, and provides a platform for blackbirds.
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Yes and robins.
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Having undertaken the slightly disgusting task of cleaning out two ponds with many decaying leaves/ sludge; and relocating all the (very many) frogs into one pond; I am learning there are consequences to one’s actions….
A heron (I assume only one) has reviewed my good work and decided that it now provides a more than acceptable breakfast stopover.
I first noticed it last weekend landing on top of a beech hedge in the back garden and yesterday I realised what was going on. Each time it appears around 7:00 am, stands motionless and strikes, each time pulling a rather hapless frog out of the pond. Curiosity got the better of me and I watched morbidly as it went about despatching the poor frog. Quite a process with several dips and shaking about in the water before ‘down in one’. An education I could have done without.
I don’t suppose I should interfere with nature and note there are several bundles of frog spawn in the bottom of that pond.
Peter
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Just an update. The winter saw very few birds in the garden on the feeders, the usual blue and great tuts were sparse. We have 3 bird boxes which normally would be being used ir being investigated…..nothing. The only thing that has changed is the woods nearby were cleared by the MOD
Thanks fr the prompt Gazza, so an update from me …
I said I/we had a depressing ‘Birdwatch’ plus the removal of the nest cover in the Ivy covered Hawthorn. It was a depressing time, but now it looks like they’re mostly all back.
The whole area is full of birdsong, normal numbers of blue & great tits, long tails are down a bit, I think we have a new garden boss robin, regular goldfinch’s on the feeders but less than previous years, very few other finches because of Trichomonosis, arguing blackbirds, an occasional thrush (heard rather than seen) the winter starling murmurations have gone, but the summer nesting ones are busy.
The jackdaws are all paired up, as are the crows & the regular buzzard family with last years young have returned to the same old tree, and the always present red kites
I’m pretty sure I heard a chiffchaff yesterday …. now excitement building for the first cuckoo & the other summer birds.
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Working in the garden today. Have had:
Great, Blue and Long Tailed Tits
Male and female blackbird
Goldfinch (about a dozen)
Chiffchaff
Robins
Woodpigeons, grey and white doves
Parakeets zipping by without stopping
Kites overhead
Magpies peering at me from the cabin roof, one thought about going into house through open back door
Merlin tells me there’s a Wren and Song Thrush about too.
The cats just snoozing in the sun leaving them be.
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Parakeets at Daughter#2’s in Sydenham (photo from my wife)
The one on the right appears to be looking quizzically at the empty bird feeders!
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They do drop in from time to time but these days we’re clearly just under the flight path heading to something more interesting…
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Daughter#2’s garden for “noms”, obviously 
Just catching up with this thread so apologies for my late response. The new feeders you have bought/modified look excellent. Perhaps you can let me know the make/source, please? I am fed up with looking at the cheap plastic dross available in many garden centres.
Thanks
They’re from CJ Wildlife.
It’s the seed feeder (Guardian Caged Adventurer) that’s particularly high quality. Unfortunately it’s only available as a seed feeder and not fat balls. The fat ball feeder is still good though.
The tray spacer bar and screw holder are optional extras.
I think it’s worth spraying them with clear acrylic lacquer. 1/2 hour work and let them hang dry for 2-3 days in garage.
Many thanks. I’ll take a look.
Just seen our first Swallow of the year. (Worcs).
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