The Account below is taken from the 2002 Essex Bird Report

HOBBY Falco subbuteo

Much increased summer visitor and passage migrant.Thirteen pairs were reported as breeding from ten sites, with a further ten sites showing signs of occupation throughout the summer, giving an overall total of 20 sites with breeding activity (19 in 2001 and 30 in 2000).

Single birds were seen at three widely separate sites on 21st April, a relatively late earliest date by recent standards. The following week saw a rapid increase in records signalling a general arrival in the county. There were relatively few records of more than three in the spring, all in May: Abberton Res., six on 3rd with five on 6th; Hall Marsh Scrape, four on 11th; Belhus Wood CP, four on 19th. Early August saw an increase in the frequency of records signalling the start of the autumn movement, but multiple occurrences were again infrequent, four at Abberton Res. on llth September being the peak. Records of three came from: Hamford Water, 8th September; Wat Tyier CP, 18th August, 7th and 9th September; Newport, 20th August; Banbury Res., 1st September. There were only five October records, the last three all falling on 6th at Bradwell, East Tilbury and Leyton Flats.