Psst

Here’s the scene: I’m in, Darren’s out birding around the local area. While 'scoping from an upstairs window, I spot a pale blob in the middle of the field at the back of the house. It’s a falcon, on the ground, and on a kill.

Hmmm. That’s not a Kestrel – back not red enough. And I can see the ‘moustache’ on its face. Got to be either a Merlin or a Peregrine, but there’s nothing to give a sense of scale out there in the field.

Ah – here come some Canada Geese over low – will they spook the falcon? Yes, there it goes, up into the air for a few seconds, and it’s clearly a Peregrine.

If Darren’s not back in time to see this, I’m going to be in trouble!

…

Well, he missed it by about ten minutes. It took off with its kill (a Woodpigeon?) and flew right by the house, before heading off south. Too bad – you go out and you miss what’s in the garden.

It turned out that he’d trumped me by seeing a Curlew whilst on his travels, and that’s too bad, too, I suppose. Hmph.