A milder and sunny day today than my last walk around the patch, although still only 7C. As I approached the burial ground I could hear the plaintive cry of a buzzard, somewhat like our cat when she is having a whinge! searching the sky, I realised that there were not one but buzzards in the air together. Presumably they are the birds that nest in The Deadwood, perhaps with last year's young still in attendance. They came really close and directly overhead so I was able to secure some of my best buzzard flight shots to date. It was amazing to see these majestic raptors at such close quarters and so close to home, infact we have since seen them over the house. I remember a time, not so long ago, when seeing buzzards required a trip to at least the Lakes and the delight I took when driving down French motorways and seeing them sitting on fence posts every couple of miles are so. It is fabulous to see them colose to home so regularly nowadays, probably reflecting the lack of organochloride chemicals in the famring industry and the more enlightened views of gamekeepers.
Half way round the burial ground I squeezed through the fence and into the Horsefield. It was a bit of a slither down the muddy bank and over Gooseman's Beck, although it was good to hear the beck running again after the recent rain. I had only just begun my circuit of the Horsefield when I spotted what I was looking out for: stonechat, both male and female birds. At the end of the wand around the field I returned to where I had seen them only to discover that there were three birds: a male and two females. Wonderful. I have still to find my first butterfly of the year, however. In previous years I have found both tortoiseshell and commas here in March.
Slothering over the beck again, I squeezed back though the fence and completed the round of the cemetery. Among the regular species I was pleased to find a greenfinch and a pair of bullfinches feeding on the blackthorn buds.
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