Pale

There’s a very pale Common Buzzard flying around me. Its breast and underwings are almost cream rather than dark brown. It makes it a lot easier to identify which individual is which. There seem to be a pair here. I’ve seen them in the large Oak trees for the last year but never seen their nest. That is, until today, when I spot one fold its wings and hurtle through the air in a huge ski-jump-shaped swoop and land in a large nest in the Oak. I check later and it’s called a ‘rollercoaster’ display.

I start to plan the next few weeks and imagine what I’m going to wear, when I’m going to visit, what equipment I’ll need and, crucially, how I do it all without them even realising I was ever there. It’s crucial I don’t disturb them and I mustn’t visit during incubation. Wish me luck.