What a walk!

Madelinew · #1 (**permalink**) 20-04-2009, 03:43 PM

Kids back to school, weather gorgeous so I took myself off on a 7 mile hike this morning. I always see something memorable when I go off on my solitary wanderings and today was no exception. Saw my first swallow and housemartin of the season. Was serenaded by a skylark all the way across a field. A blackcap gave me a good telling off along with various other birds of similar size.

The crowning glory?

I spotted a few buzzards riding a thermal and had to do a double take. Altogether there were 9 of them! Then I had to giggle because just at that moment, I passed a house that was being built in the middle of nowhere and I could hear a workman whistling "Magic Moments" - I felt like singing it back to him

I saw several buzzards on the whole walk and not once were they solitary. There was always at least 2. At one point, I heard the familiar 'kew, kew' above me which was answered by a very loud reply from nearby woodland. The 2 adult birds above me were joined by 2 juveniles who crashed through a great deal of foliage before taking flight. Stealth certainly wasn't an option today.

But what a morning.

Oh and I may possibly have seen my first Merlin perched on a wire but I couldn't get close enough and I didn't have my bins with me to check.

snowdrop · #2 (**permalink**) 20-04-2009, 03:47 PM

What a fab walk. Thanks for sharing

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Pete Collins · #3 (**permalink**) 20-04-2009, 06:40 PM

Sounds like you had a great time!

Nine buzzards together must be pretty spectacular, I don't think I've ever seen more than 4 or 5 together. they are doing very well in my part of the world though - a few years ago it was a big thing for me to see a Buzzard, now I'm disappointed if I don't see one when I go for a walk.