Heavysides

It's always good to do three jobs in one, especially when this entails walking around the woods with the excellent company of two enthusiastic volunteers.
After the weekend winds the forest was closed this morning to give us time to check all the trails for fallen trees and hanging branches. Our foresters then move in to saw and move the blockages and make them safe. We had Heavysides, Massmill Beck and Noble Knott to check, a lovely bit of mixed deciduous and conifer woodland. On the way we did a quick litter pick of the car-park and our third task was to spot breeding buzzards. Just before we walked up to this open edge a pair glided over our heads, heading North and disappearing downhill. This was in the direction of where they had nested last year, and sure enough when we wound our way down to the beck there was a clear view of one of them sitting on a significant branch. We didn't have time to investigate further as the closure signs needed taking down and gates opened for visitors. All Clear!
Buzzards may be the commonest bird of prey in the British Isles - about 63,000 pairs - but their mewing calls, rolling courtship display and circling flight on thermals above the fells puts them into my top ten favourites. Their abundance also gives a lot of hope. Back in the 1990's they had declined through persecution and poisoning to about 3000 pairs and were a rare sight. I am so glad that over my adult life they have re-gained their proper numbers and that anyone nearly anywhere in Britain can soar with them in spirit.