Peregrines part two (1 Viewer)

Now, after a cloudless early morning, the cumuli were accumulating and beginning to accrete like wet cement poured over the blue.

Shadows slipped up the thigh of the valley like a lover's hand.

The jazz of chaffinch song rang out from the ranks of pine as a Buzzard tilted away from its tormentor: a Crow on a mission.

Across on the cliff in their niche in the rock two young Peregrines crouched, waddling sometimes around the nest. Above on the crag a parent - sitting, surveying the valley below. Two Oystercatchers pass by, oblivious.

Some blood red remains of prey glisten, contrasting against the lately limed nest.

Now a commotion: in the copse close by a Sparrowhawk with a screaming victim launches back out of the trees and disappears downslope.

Up towards the craggy edge - rocks like a mouthful of broken teeth - beeches stride amongst huge boulders billowing from the hill.

A deep gully twists upwards towards the bracken, water rushing amongst rocks. A Dipper calls and whirrs away upstream. Grasses thick with stitchwort are brushed by Small heath butterflies.

Up on flat and boggy ground pure white tufts of cotton grass stand stark and soft amongst the dark sedge. Reed buntings sing, and high up, way above the crags, a Raven calls against the sun.

Good to meet you today, Halftwo.

And you Trev - I dipped on Ring Ouzel, but did see a topless model being photographed in the stream - which was some consolation!

Yikes!

Anyhoo - back to the OP - just lovely, as always, halftwo. You conjure up a wonderful image.

Thanks, Kits.