
A kestrel hovers above Bradleyfield Farm. I saunter, planning a leisurely walk and not expecting to see anything as dramatic as Chris’ encounter.
Coming off Scout Scar, I hear the persistent alarm call of a small bird and pause to search for it. Then I see a buzzard in the top of a holly. The small bird keeps up its warning until the buzzard flies off, then it falls silent. Buzzards feed on voles, mice, birds and reptiles. Their diet includes earthworms but the ground is baked hard this April after a prolonged period of sunshine and warm weather. A little later, I hear a crow loudly trying to see off a buzzard whose wings glint silver in the sunlight.
The willow warbler I photographed a few days ago is sunlit on his display perch. The sun is full on him and his pale supercilium is clearly visible.