Ancient raptor

Why I did not bring my camera is a mystery. The sky shined contrasts of blue whilst the suns beams came from behind me. Therefore the light was great with little cloud coverage apart from a few cirrus clouds which whispered across the sky. The Latin for cirrus is ‘strand of hair’ which is fully apt when you observe their appearance, almost as though they have been smudged across the sky line. However although these were the circumstances it’s still late winter and coming into spring, feeling much more like spring now though, so the temperature numbed my hands and prickled my face with the occasional warm tear running down my face due to the icy gusts of wind.

These are my favourite types of mornings and ones I’m glad I dragged myself out of bed for, even though it’s half term. I suppose this spot is somewhat warmer then if I were out in the countryside watching and enjoying a rural landscape. Instead though I was out in my local city centre for a spot of raptor watching.

For all the hours I spend on my neighbouring countryside patch I may see some buzzards gliding over, the occasional kestrel or perhaps hobby. Or on a really lucky day a red kite passing. It is even less likely that I will see a peregrine falcon though. A couple of times I might have seen one but not like I have here at the cathedral.

I looked up onto its fluffy white speckled chest. It was perched right on the edge of a ledge with its feathers blowing in the wind creating a very broad impression. It took no notice of my presence and every now and then I would see it ruffle its feathers more so. Once in a while it would also let out a squawk. When looking from below, before noticing what it actually is, the bird looks like a white dot.  Perched so high up the views must be amazing as it towers over the city deciding where to set off in the search of breakfast, plenty to choose from.

I looked to my left and right down the close debating whether to get my binoculars out. No one was in sight. I looked up, now with a much better view, watching the bird. Twisting its head and constantly on the look out. Suddenly I realised the shaking of its head and body that I’d watched without the magnified view wasn’t just to buff itself up but then it teared a stringy piece of meat from its talon. Breakfast had already been served.