Sparrowhawk Vs Buzzard At Panshanger Park

I spent this beautifully sunny day exploring at Panshanger Park. I stalked a Cetti's warbler but didn't get a pic, though I got wrens, long-tailed-tits and grey wagtails.

I paddled briefly and blissfully with a woman and her three dogs in the River Mimram, a chalk stream, one of only 180 in the world. I got a shot of a pair of uncommon red-crested pochard ducks, closely followed by two nice swan-in-flight images.

Drawn by the sight of trees heavy with mistletoe, I found an island in the river and on the bank a nineteenth century water pump. I've read that it was used to pump water up to the grand house that has been demolished. The little island was constructed to a design by Repton to hide the weir necessary for his Broadwater lake. (Extras) I shot a goldcrest on this island and was alerted, by their rattling call, to a flock of mistle thrushes gorging themselves on the white berries. These large thrushes love mistletoe. Once an individual has found a berry-laden tree, it will guard it from any would-be thieves. It also helps mistletoe to thrive by wiping its bill on the tree bark to remove sticky residue and accidentally 'planting' the seeds in weak spots; it also disperses the seeds in its droppings.  

Just as I removed my long lens to get a shot of the pump with the wide- angle I heard a buzzard mewing. I fumbled the 400 back on and adjusted the settings, by which time the buzzard was fast disappearing. I managed the above. It's not a good shot but it's the first time I have got a buzzard and a sparrowhawk in the same frame. :)