Tag: raptor

February 27th – When I was a youth, exploring the local lanes and byways on my treasured Peugeot racer, I rarely, if ever saw birds of prey. I might hear the odd owl, or spot a kestrel or two, but raptors were rare things indeed.

Over the interceding 35 years, the rabbit population has recovered, and the buzzards and other large hunters have steadily been gaining traction. I now regularly see buzzards wheeling over the Black Country, often being mobbed by crows and magpies. Kestrels hover over motorway embankments, gimlet eye peeled for anything small and squeaky. Peregrines hunt pigeon in central Birmingham, Walsall and Lichfield. Patches of plucked feathers attest to the feeding of sparrow hawks.

It therefore gave me reason to smile that this fine bird was perching in a thicket near Wall Butts at Muckley Corner. A splendid bird in fine condition, and showing well that not all of our progression in conservation is wasted.

June 28th – Feeling better, and a trundle to Brownhills Canalside Festival, where there was a Bird of Prey display by Armitage Bird of Prey Centre. It’s a rare and wonderful chance to get close up photographs of some stunning birds. The range of facial expression Jono the Eagle Owl can make, whilst not really having a mouth is astounding.

I love these birds.

March 17th – I was pottering around the canal, and hopped up the bank onto Clayhanger Common to check out the sunset, and I came across these two patches of feathers. Something – probably a sparrow hawk – has had lunch here. Maybe twice. Those look like pigeon feathers to me. 

If there’s a birder living on the south side of Humphries House, they’ve a cracking view of this spot. Might be worth keeping your eye out for hunting raptors…