No, it’s not a spelling mistake! We often like to have a walk down the River Idle at Eaton on a Sunday afternoon, and last Sunday was no exception. We parked in our usual place near the church, and headed towards the bridge over the river. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon; we were so grateful after all the rain we’d had.
Almost as soon as we got out of the car, we spotted this beautiful kestrel sitting on the cables on the church building near the window. He sat there just posing in the sunshine for ages and let us take several photographs. His colours looked amazing in the sun, although he does appear to blend into the brick work very well!
After taking some photographs, we started our walk down the river. Looking up into the sky, we saw him flying above us. Kestrels often hover in mid-air before swooping down for their prey, and you can often see them at the side of roads or motorways. They are sometimes used for falconry (as you’ve probably read in Barry Hines’ Kestrel for a Knave, or “Kes”) as they are very trainable, and, as you can see, very pretty to look at.
The Parish Church at Eaton
Ali and Lee's feathered friends through the lens 