Highs and Lows

I took my usual wander along the valley this morning. It never ceases to surprise me what I get to see so close to the village.

Alpaccas, six, multi-coloured, happily munching away just like long necked sheep.

Huge Vietnamese pigs, one of which had farrowed. She was lying in a sun-baked wallow while her piglets, tiny black and white tails hammering away were sucking at her teats. A high.

Seconds late the deepest of Lows. This beautiful bird, which I believe to be a Sparrowhawk, was lying just by my feet, face down. It looked like a pigeon until I noticed the bars on it's tail feathers and then rolled it over. It had been carried by something, possibly a weasel or stoat as there was a wet patch on it's back, but no damage, also all the vertebrae in the neck were in place so I don't think it had crashed into a tree. The bird was very thin hardly any muscle at all, the left eye was mostly covered with ulceration, I reckon it was unable to hunt properly, so starved to death. The beak was amazingly sharp, as of course were the talons. Part of the cycle of life I know, but still regrettable.

On Monday I watched two dog foxes fighting in the middle of the track. Today one was lying dead just off the track. The dogs that were around all circled the body rather warily. Another low, then a high as I watched the male and female buzzards working a hillside. Beautifully co-ordinated and choreographed grace. The breeze was so strong that the male was folding his wings to spill air and stay in position compared to the normal wings wide sight we normally see.

Further on the unmistakeable sound of a chiff-chaff so they are back and life is good again.