Football and birding do go together!
I drove into Exeter this afternoon to see my team, City, play. There was plenty of banter as I had my son and his girlfriend with me. On arrival, I headed for my usual parking spot in Polsloe Road. We were getting kitted up with warm clothing, when I suddenly spotted a strange large bird flying towards us from the west. It appeared to be a raptor, but not just one of the multitude of Buzzards we normally encounter round these parts, this bird had a long thin tail! I rapidly reached into the car for my bins, focused, and confirmed my suspicions that the bird was a Red Kite! I have seen this bird a few times in Devon, including one a couple of years ago that flew low over my house! But I am always enthralled to watch these beautiful birds as they fly over, twisting their long, forked tails to add to stability of flight. This one flew at a height of about 100feet and passed slowly over us. Of course, I was jumping up and down with delight, oblivious to other footie fans walking past (and probably thinking I'd just escaped from the local institution). Nevertheless, I eventually calmed down and stopped embarrassing my son and his girlfriend (I even managed to try and get them to see the bird!). It eventually disappeared behind some rooftops. We then went on to the ground where, inspired by a Kite flypast, City won 2-1!
No comments:
Post a Comment