The Beautiful Red Kite is Chased Off by Crows.

Late in the afternoon, I was chatting with Carole on the garden decking. We were interrupted by a commotion. The overexcited sound of crows. Almost in panic. 

In the distance and coming towards us was a cluster of the carrion above a Red Kite that seemed to lazily twist and turn from the harassing carrion. Almost as though the raptor could not be bothered.

As it passed above the garden, I was able to grab the camera and take some multiple shots. As usual, after about twenty-five photo shots, I selected the ones I thought best. It was rather high and I used the computer to magnify.

It was taken on my Nikon D3100 at 300mm. I'm still toying with the notion of buying the Nikon P900. It has a range of 10,000mm. I can't help wondering how such a camera would have captured this fine bird in flight.

Eagle with Eyes only Matched by their Huge Appetite.

Eagle with Eyes only Matched by their Huge Appetite.

Sometimes Birds of Prey will attack large animals far in excess of their capabilities. I was shocked and surprised by some of their targets in this Youtube video. What makes them size up some of the prey is beyond me. I was also surprised to see that on some occasions the large prey was taken.

My Ducks get Spooked by the Birds of Prey?

Taken on the 70 - 300mm Nikon zoom lens at 300mm 

We humans have to learn about dangers. Sometimes we are warned of certain animals that a dangerous. Many of us may never have seen a tiger or a wolf, but we would know that these animals can cause harm.

I have ducks in my garden. They wander around and seem generally content. We get eggs from them as we do the chickens. We live out in the Fenlands of eastern England and there are a variety of raptors. It has always amazed me how the ducks instinctively know that raptors or birds of prey can be harmful to them. Yet not one of my ducks has ever experienced an attack from a raptor. They seem to know automatically when they are in the sky too. Sometimes the bird of prey is so high up, it can hardly be made out. It baffles me how the ducks know.

Today, my wife Carole was digging up worms and the ducks were excitedly quaking the way ducks do. For a time the ducks were incredibly noisy as the foraged about the dug up garden patch. Carole came back and sat with me on the garden decking. Then suddenly she said, “The ducks have gone quite.”

I looked to the ducks and they were silent and standing still. Their heads seemingly to the side but only slightly. Then Carole said, “There must be a buzzard or something.”

She peered up into the clear blue sky with her hand over her brow to block out the sun’s glare. I did the same but could only see blue sky. I thought it may have been an old wives tale, but then Carole pointed up. I peered along her line of pointing. To my surprise, there was this minute dot circling very high up.

“Blimey,” I exclaimed. “How can the ducks see that?”

“They have some sort of instinct,” replied Carole.

I reached for my camera and homed in with the telescopic sight. As the raptor circled over the lens sensor, I was able to get off a few good photo shots. It was a grand sight. After a time the bird of prey caught the wind and flew off at speed over the houses of March town.

The ducks resumed their noisy banter and we sat down and discussed how ducks must pass on some sort of gene or memory from an ancestor that allows them to know about high-flying raptors. 

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The Kestrel over the Fen.

I think it was a female kestrel hunting over the fenland. She was hovering and diving for prey. Probably mice or voles. The day was clear and blue and she was hovering very close. I began to take shots with my camera and selected the best of them here. 

There were other things of interest too, but some of these kestrel photos were very gratifying indeed. We enjoyed a good few hours over the Manea fenland, walking along the dyke to the various bird hides overlooking the flooded plain.

The Common Buzzard Observed Then Flew Away.

Showing Paul the grounds at Holkham Hall, where the Earl of Leicester lives was something to behold. The grounds were magnificent and there was a big herd of deer grazing on the park land. We saw a Common Buzzard fly over us and the raptor knew we were observing it. It circled and then flew off towards a line of trees.

We also saw a barn owl swoop down across the lake. As my son, Paul comes from the southern outskirts of London, he was rather taken by the open space and the grand stately home of Holkham Hall.

As we turned and began to walk across the parkland back towards the main gates, a Barn Owl flew over the lake. It was so quick that most of the shots were not too good. However, one was enough.

Next came the deer herd and Paul began to film on his mobile phone. I think it was for his daughter Leah. She is at school and was unable to come up to the Fenland on this occasion.

From Across the Marshland Came the Raptor as though Upon Request.

My son, Paul had come to stay with us in March, Cambridgeshire. He lives in the southern suburbs of London. Therefore, he seems to be very taken by the wide open spaces of the Fenland. Carole and I told him of the A148 road that goes along the Norfolk coastline by the wash. It has some great sandy beaches, fine woodland and fields that have quaint little stone cottages nestle within.

There is a multitude of wildlife and other wonderful things to see. At one point we stopped at Holkham where the drive goes down towards the beach. There is a line of conifer trees with a bridal path behind the open marshland. We told Paul of the bird hide here, where we often look out at the Marsh Harriers hunting.

As we got out of the car one such raptor made an appearance as though on request. I started clicking away with my camera.

The Marsh Harrier

After deciding to go home from Cromer in Norfolk, we were chatting leisurely about the scenic little villages we were passing through in the car. We went through Sheringham and Clay Next the Sea. There were other small coastal towns too. All the cottages were made of pebbled stone and had a wonderful and quaint character. Even the new builds are done the same way.

We passed the outskirts of Wells Next the Sea and then Holkham Hall. As we drove on towards Hunstanton, Carole noticed a buzzard gliding over the sand dunes. As luck would have it, there was a gravelled clearing with a gateway. It was big enough for me to park off of the country lane. I got out the camera and began to click away. At first, I thought it was a Red Kite, but upon further inspection, it looks more like a Common Buzzard. It was a very fine creature whatever.