Death in paradise

The Safari wasn't expecting such a grim day, it started out without much of a to-do.

Two Peregrines were huddled on their respective ledges last night during our game of footy, the wind had dropped to next to nothing but with that came clearing skies and dropping temperatures - it was going to be the coldest night for some time.

This morning on our return back down the hill from behind us we heard a whooshing sound steadily increasing increasing in volume, looking up we saw a narrow crescent of well over 1000 Starlings scythe their way towards the lightening dawn.
Back at Base Camp a lump of bread on the garage roof attracted the attention of a Herring Gull, we hadn't thrown any bread up there for a while so we wondered where it had come from. The shape of the bread was quite fish like...very fish like as it happened. We went for a closer look and discovered that it was, sadly, one of the large Goldfish from our pond...now we really began to wonder how it could have got there...cat, Fox, Heron? Was it dead and hoiked out or did something catch it then abandon it? And if the latter will what ever it was come back for the others? The pond is netted against Herons and we don't think they'd leave a fish that small just swallow it straight down and was it not a bit too windy for one to be able to land in the limited space? Mysterious???

 Once we'd gone back inside the Herring Gull soon came back. Looking at the fish's eye it would seem that it hasn't been dead too long.

 We set off very glumly to the shops but stepping out of the front door we were confronted by more death...small bits of a Woodpigeon were scattered around the front garden. Did the culprit have mustard on it's Woody with the discarded Coleman's wrapper there?

On the way to the our garden centre destination a little inland we soon spotted the snow on the Bowland hills. Thought it was a bit chilly last night.

We've often felt that the deep clough on the lower flank of Parlick should be fenced off and planted with trees.

Back at Base Camp we tucked into a sumptuous pie each...whoever Shirley is she makes flippin good pies, we had a Christmas Pie with half a turkey in it along with a chipolata, a slab of bacon, cranberries and rich stuffing; Wifey 'made-do' with a lusciously rich Butter Pie filled with chunky slices of potatoes and gently softened onions all washed down with lashings of homemade gravy...yummmmm...can deffo recommend.

A chat about the Otters at the nature reserve with our Extreme Photographer who now has some natty kit and a cunning plan...need to test it first but the results could be good...providing the Otter(s) play ball. While he was on the phone a big female Sparrowhawk dived between Base Camp and next door at an astonishing speed...after another Woodpigeon?

Where to next? Out and about tomorrow with perhaps another year bird to have a look at, won't be many more now, so we hope it's still there and then we'll end up on the nature reserve at Otter/Bittern time, providing the 100mph gales haven't come back.

In the meantime let us know what's thieving what in your outback.