When Tim calls you to say he has just seen a Turtle Dove near the entrance to the Common, you drop everything (in this case the washing up) and get there. Sadly, although I was there within 10 minutes of when he had seen it, I was not so lucky. He joined me after a few minutes, and we spent quite a while looking for it, but it had gone, or was hiding.
This was the second Tim had seen in the area in as many days; both had been on the ground eating grit,. which aids their digestion.
All was not in vain however: just as we were about to part, a Hobby flew across, low enough to be able to make out its moustachial stripe and its reddish thigh feathers. Better still, a few minutes later, as I was taking one last look, the Hobby came back, flying higher and faster, announced by the alarm calls of a swallow it obviously had in mind for supper. It was my first sighting of a Hobby this year, and my best so far. I only hope it doesn't eat that Turtle Dove!
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