Buzzard above the garden at teatime

I had my first coffee soon after Helena left at 8-15am and watched five blackbirds scampering around the lower limbs of the nearby tree seeking the last of the grapes on the vine which had wandered up the tree. I didn't have my camera which was a shame as the y were very amusing to watch.

By the time I had got my camera and sat waiting for them to resume, thin rain started to fall and the light receded even more. My main task for the day was to clear the patio and pathways behind the house of the junk that had built up and then to cleanse the large stone slabs.  Helena came home in the afternoon and we did manage to get a great deal done, which was very pleasing.  We stood back and looked at our handiwork with pleasure as we could see the the longed for return of space, ready to be filled again no doubt.

As I washed the stone slabs with the hose, i heard the mewing of buzzards, which is quite common at our house. They nest in the nearby woodlands and I often hear then see the young birds being trained in the air by their parents. This time there were four birds and they were right over my head only just above the tree tops.  I went to get my camera but of course by the time I returned juts a few seconds later they had flown on.

But one of them returned a short while later, a bit higher in the sky and I grabbed a couple of shots.  Stupidly I hadn't checked my settings as I would have preferred a much faster shutter speed, so they pictures weren't very sharp. But I'm glad to record their presence with this shot and will hope to be better prepared next time.