Not what was planned

I started this morning bright and early hoping for a shot of a kingfisher, but despite my visiting all the places that I've seen one before there wasn't sight nor sound of him. After a couple of hours of fruitless searching I gave up and came home, treating myself to a cherry and almond pastry from Waitrose with my lunch as consolation (as if I really need that excuse)!

Not terribly happy with this morning's photography I set off again in the afternoon sunshine, in the hope of getting a shot of something else of interest, and to my delight one of the local buzzards kindly obliged.  I'm not sure how you sex a buzzard (very carefully and with thick gloves I hear you say), so this one could be male or female.  It was however, calling to one of the other buzzards and flew over a local wood for a rendezvous.  For a time they circled in the lovely blue sky today and mewed at each other - but it came to naught  in the end and they went their separate ways.

The buzzard's plumage isn't as spectacular as the red kites, it is rather dowdy in comparison, but I like the distinctive white banding on this one, although I see that it has lost one or more of its tail feathers at some stage.

On the way back, walking though the fields I disturbed a yellowhammer, and, as I've not managed a shot of one of these before, I've added it as an extra.  They are lovely yellow birds, and you would think that as a result they would be easy to spot.  But somehow they seem to disappear amongst the branches and leaves all too easily when you are looking for them.