Windhover

On the way home yesterday afternoon-- in addition to immense and diffuse rainbows, and cathedrals on fen land skylines (both P'boro and Ely)--we saw one very fine windhover by the side of the road. Nothing unusual in that: drive along any major road and they're always around hovering over the verges or the central reservations of motorways. Yesterday, however, with the wind blowing strong and constant across the flat lands, added one difference: instead of hovering at say the height of telegraph poles, this one was probably no more than six or seven feet off the ground and no more than three or four from the roadside. It ignored the passing traffic completely and remained in place as we drove towards it, levelled and left it far behind. The strength and fairly constant velocity of the wind must have contributed to the way it hung for so long so close to the ground, still except for its wings. We've been closer to kestrels (on falconry courses) but did not expect to get such a good view simply sitting in the passenger seat of the car (had a similar experience with a golden eagle about twenty years ago: having spent a fruitless holiday staring skywards at buzzards [not that there's anything wrong with buzzards] before finally spotting an eagle perched [not really quite the word] on a fence post almost within touching distance of the car). Situated below the level of the hedges, the kestrel wasn't the usual fluttering silhouette against the sky. It was gilt brown with a black eye, the texture of its feathers perceptible. We didn't see it dive in for the kill and just passed, ignored, beside the steel cable of its gaze.

Actually they're not really that impressive, kestrels: why else would they be fit only for knaves? Our favourite kestrel quote comes from Jemima Parry-Jones in her book, Falconry:

"They hunt mice, beetles and the like so as a hunting bird they are pretty much not on, though we have on occasion caught things with Kestrels here. Our best bag was seventeen worms in one afternoon with only one bird."

Now that's boasting!