going home

a flock of starlings going home to roost.

making tracks

does anyone have any idea what might have made these tracks, meandering from one small clump of snow covered grass to another. The larger tracks (to the left, and top) are made by rabbits, but what walks in a straight line by placing one dainty foot in front of another. It doesn't look like the tracks of a bird. A very small rabbit maybe?

snipe over Dartmoor, and Venterdon

snipe (dot in sky in top picture) are easily startled and very quick through the air, but have a characteristically over long beak for their small bodies. They often live in the fields in the winter but it is extremely difficult to catch them in a photograph, they're gone before the camera can focus.

some hungry visitors

this is the first song thrush we have seen in the garden for a long time (top two photos). The song thrush is a much browner looking bird than the mistle thrush which is greyer and has a lighter face. The blackbird is also a member of the thrush family and the brown female (third photo) has very thrush like mottled breast feathers

the fields of gold

another strange day with a golden sunset across freezing fog creating an eerie and magical world of soft suffused light; it reminded me for some reason of the song, but fields of miscanthus not barley.

buzzard rescue

this morning as I was driving slowly into work along the frozen lanes a young buzzard flew out of the hedgerow straight into the front of the car, falling between the wheels. When I went back to check, it was still alive but with obvious damage to its right wing. I am never quite sure what to do in these situations, but I decided to wrap the bird up in my coat and try to save it. For a large bird it was immediately and surprisingly calm thus restrained. Steering one handed with the buzzard under my left arm we returned home, rang up the RSPCA, and with a case number and their instructions took the bird to our nearest vets (Calweton) with the help of one of my neighbours, Derek, who is holding the buzzard in this photo, and his springer spaniel Moss. The buzzard was thin and malnourished and has obviously been struggling to find anything to eat in the cold weather. The nurse at Calweton said that they have a couple of people who specialise in rehabilitating raptors but I suspect the prognosis is not good. I have noticed several buzzards recently at a much lower level in the woods than normal. It was an unfortunate way in which to see one of these magnificent birds at such close quarters.