Reasons to linger longer in bed...

A strong wind blowing from the West on a miserable, damp, grey morning...
the bedroom is nice and warm...
the bed even cosier...
we have a cup each of Taylor's on the bedside tables...
and each a pair of binoculars...

And we are watching the birds...
Our view is a little restricted...
but we can see the ridge opposite.

From left... Long wave radio for the cricket [unplugged], bird book, binos, cat brushes and McDougalls Flour Men

First some pigeons having a "fly around"....
back and forth...
always a straggler...

The odd pair of crows...
making their way westward against the wind...
then a flock of small birds rapidly westward across our view!

Too fast to identify properly, but all the "jizz"...
the way they are flying, the way they behave....
shouts...
starlings...
busy aiming toward feeding grounds....
that they probably hadn't finished working yesterday...
before heading home to roost...

Then something larger glides slowly into vision...
just a buzzard!
Three seem to be around again...
nice to see them back after about a month's absence.

Buze Variable

It is hunting the ridge opposite...
using the wind to hold it steady whilst it watches the ground...
hunting...
hunting...
the primary feathers are completely spread...
like fingers at the end of the wing...
they twitch and flicker...
the wings jiggle...
the tail twists one way...
then the other...
controlling its position minutely...
it must be rising and falling as it makes its way against the wind...
but it is imperceptible...
it looks like it is travelling on rails...
all the time the head is moving left and right..
scanning the ground...

Common Buzzard

It sees something and begins to hover...
like a kestrel...
not as smoothly...
but enough to hold station...
eyes fixed on the ground below...
the wings close into the body as it stoops...
but then, almost as quickly they flick back out...
and the buzzard rises on the wind...
allowing itself to be carried up...
and back to where it began the stoop...
it had lost sight of the prey.

Three times we watched it pass the windows westward...
working the ridge...

The ridge up by La Jarrie

A sudden burst of activity nearer to us...
a cloud of LBJs lifts into the sky from our riverbank...
then two crows, chasing a raptor, come flying past...
making the deep cronking call we've noticed...
when watching them harry predators...
From what little we saw of the raptor...
it was probably the female sparrowhawk...
she's a regular along the riverbank and past the house.


Reasons enough I think to stay a little longer in bed...
on a Sunday!!

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[LBJs... Little Brown Jobs... usually used to group the mixed flocks of winter buntings, finches and tits... often seen in silhouette against a grey sky... but often 'hiding' interesting species.]