Once again there was early morning mist, but it cleared to warm day with blue skies. Time to start tidying the garden for spring, but as ever I kept the camera handy as you can never be sure what might appear when you're not out looking for it.
The herring gulls are always a good alarm system, and a couple of occasions their screeching caused me to look to the skies. I missed getting a shot of a fast stooping falcon (peregrine or hobby), but I did manage to catch a sparrowhawk running the gull gauntlet.
Clearing garden rubbish has one particular plus side (apart from a better looking garden), and that's taking the cuttings to the council tip (or as I sometimes think of it, to 'Kestrel County'). And yes, as I approached the tip I spied a male kestrel sitting on one of the street lights at the side of the road. 
It was looking for food, and several times dropped down from its perch to investigate the undergrowth.
It finally caught something, though I suspect a worm is little more than a quick snack.
Back home it was back to filling more sacks with rubbish. The sun was setting, and the street was beginning to darken into shade when a familiar figure appeared across the road in something of a hurry.
Not bad for a day when I didn't go out looking for photos. And to close, two photos from late last night (actually early minutes of Saturday morning). I was out by the garden pond when I spotted this newt clambering up a ceramic planter.
The second shot is another newt, coming up through the water for a gulp of air. 
Camera note: all daytime shots taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens. The newts were photographed with the EF 100mm f/2.8L macro IS USM lens.
8 Comments
Better to have a camera and not need it than to need it and not have it. Wonderful shots, Words!
Kestrel looks magnificent :yes:
With so many good photos I think you didn't do much about gardening :whistle:
The wild world seems to be waking up. Spring is practically here! Nice to catch the fox, and the spr'awk is great (although the gulls apparently don't think so). Your falcon must have been a peregrine – the hobbies are in Africa at this time of year.
dW, thanks! I always try to keep a camera handy. As they say, the best camera is the one you have with you.
Darko, thanks. It's good to be seeing the kestrels again. The garden is quite a bit clearer too, so a very productive day.
Adele, the weather has been very kind this weekend. My first thought with the falcon was 'peregrine' but it seemed less bulky than I'd expect (though I saw it for all of two seconds of a dive. I agree, it would be very early for a hobby. Saw the fox again today 😉
Erwin, thanks!
Wonderful shots