Driven mad

Monday 16th February 2009

Didnt feel like going too far a field so I headed for the most northerly point of Shakespeare's County around the villages of Austry, Newton Regis and Warton. Somebody, I cant recall who, had told me that Corn Bunting were now extinct in this area. Having seen them just outside Warton a few years ago I thought I'd challenge the statement, although clearly my chances of locating them will be better in the spring. I found some good footpaths and some good habitat but little to encourage my search for the Corn Bunting, no yellowhammers or Reed Buntings only a single Skylark a few Chaffinch, 4 Stock doves and a small flock of Linnet.

On the vast open fields below Orton on the hill one of 4 Buzzards on the ground looked odd, very upright and and leggy in stance. In flight the wings looked quite narrow and tapered and the breast and underwing predominantly white with dark belly patches. There was no dark terminal band to the tail and the head and upperparts were typical Common Buzzard but it was still distinctly odd and worth having a second look at.

And finally: Black shiny Range Rovers take up quite alot of a country lane. So why is it always me who has to take to the verge to make room. I thought the whole idea of a 4x4 was that they could drive off road. I suppose they can but the drivers seem somewhat limited, cant all be down to arrogance.