One Hare

There is a nice play on words in Urdu based on the similarity in sound between the name "Iqbal" and the words "ek baal", which literally translated means "one hair". As a result, any man with serious hair loss issues can be referred to as Iqbal, for he is indeed a man with very few hairs left. Since discovering this piece of word play whenever I see a single Brown Hare I play my own version of the game and whisper his name to myself: Iqbal. One Hare. There was an example this morning:

Iqbal in North Field

Also in North Field were 2 Ravens and this pellet. At first I assumed it was an owl pellet, the undigestible regurgitated remains of the last few meals. However, a little research reveals that the size, colour and location mean it is more likely to be a Common Buzzard pellet:

A Treecreeper by the pond was a real surprise, the second of the year, but only the 4th in the last 6 years and the first ever summer record. They are rare birds out here in these arable lands. The local Hobby pair have fledged 2, possibly 3 young, but I was surprised to come across them on the ground, in a recently ploughed field. Searching for insects on foot perhaps? Below is a hastily thrown together montage of the juvenile birds in flight, with an adult, centre:

Within a few weeks these beautiful falcons will have left us for their sub-Saharan wintering grounds.

89 species for the year (no additions since April 21st!)