As I drove to Newark this afternoon I noticed a group of rooks whirling aimlessly round the sky. On looking closer I realised they weren’t being aimless, but were in fact mobbing a buzzard. here were about 20 of them, though it wasn’t that easy to drive safely and count rooks at the same time.
Shortly after that I passed a roadside tree full of strange ball-like growths in its leafless branches – mistletoe in its natural state.
A bit later in the same journey I had to brake sharply when a large fox decided to run across the road. You don’t see many foxes in the middle of the day, and this is the first time I’ve ever had to put the brakes on to avoid one. It looked healthy and well-fed so I’m not sure why it needed to be out and about. Sometimes things are meant to remain a mystery.
The only other bit of natural history was a buzzard roosting in the roadside tree. Always nice to see, but let’s face it – they aren’t rare these days. It just goes to show what’s about, even on a grey day of driving round doing errands.
The picture is a random pansy. They are out in the garden so I thought it would be OK to show one.
Sounds like a full day!
It was – I’m going to have to get into gear again and make sure I do more. I’ve been very lazy so far this year.
Always thought that when I encountered wildlife, it was a sign of a good day.
Yes, I’d have to agree with that. Julia saw another buzzard being mobbed by three crows today – we think this may be a sign they are thinking of nest-building.
Always funny to see the big guys get bullied by a lot of small fry.
That’s the story of my life. .. 😉
Very nice shot of the pansy, Simon.
They don’t move much, so they are one of my favourite subjects. 🙂
😀
Shows what you can do without getting out of the car. You could have taken some photographs, though
I will look into it.
Keep your eye on the road! We don’t want to lose you. 🙂
Nlted – I can get very blase at times and need to get a grip.
Seeing a buzzard is still a privilege, I think. I witnessed a bundle between some rooks and a red kite once – impressive – you wouldn’t want to try and break ’em up.
Very true – I’ve seen rook v sparrowhawk too, and the rooks are very agile, as well as tenacious.
Nature on parade! Always a treat. Speaking of treats…that pansy!
They tend to stand still so I find them reasonably easy to take. 🙂
Flowers are very obliging that way.
They are. Buildings are quite good too but you need to step back a long way for buildings, and they often look the wrong shape
That is a beautiful pansy, Quercus. They have such happy, smiling little faces. 🙂
I enjoy these reports of the wild creatures and plants you see in your area. I counted five foxes living out back here this past summer.
I’ve seen as many as three in our street in the evening – though they look a bit thin. You have much better wildlife than we do.
As for pansies – you can’t really fault them. 🙂