Thursday 25 November 2021

Peter Gabriel forgive me


I was alerted to something out of the ordinary flying over this morning by the screaming of the remaining gulls and the headless chicken behaviour of the feral pigeons.

Expecting to see our resident Peregrine Falcon, I went to the window and looked up, and after a while there appeared a huge bird of prey slowing flapping its way with bendy wings tipped in individual feathery fingers.

It was bigger than a Buzzard - it was even larger than a Red Kite. It was massive, with a wingspan which must have been close to 6 feet. I have seen this geezer once before, but could not believe my eyes.

I looked up 'sightings of unusual birds of prey' in my area and discovered that there has been a White-Tailed Eagle spotted all over Somerset in the last few years. This one was heading for Solsbury Hill.

Peter Gabriel, please accept my apologies for taking the piss put of your lyrics about 20 years ago. 

24 comments:

  1. I recently saw a red kite and was in awe
    I would have loved to have seen an eagle

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    1. I have seen Eagles in Scotland, the Austrian Alps, Boulder Colorado and Eastern Europe, but I never thought I would see one here.

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  2. The eagle was telling you it was time to get up and out.

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  3. The pigeons had nothing to fear. Cats and dogs, yes. Pigeons, no.

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    1. Pigeons even panic when a Heron flies over and gets mobbed by Crows and Gulls. Flying-fish need not worry either.

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  4. That is amazing to see and photograph a soaring eagle. I've now read they mate for life. You probably have a pair of eagles.

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    1. That isn't my photo, but it could be the same Eagle.

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  5. Solsbury Hill is one of my very favorite songs. It's supposed to be played at my funeral. I love to watch the bald eagles flying up and down the river. The wing span is amazing.

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    1. We can see Solsbury Hill from our back window. I spent a few hours having tea with Peter Gabriel once too. Now there are eagles.

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  6. There is always magic to be found and Gabriel is hopefully still alive to see it. Also one of my favourite songs - Solsbury Hill and now eagles, I remember trying to convince people that eagles did not fly over Bath, take it all back.

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  7. 25 White-tailed Sea Eagles were released on the Isle of Wight in 2019 in the hope of starting a new breeding population. Until they reach breeding age these young birds are wandering about over England and mid-Europe, followed by their fitted tracking systems.

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    1. That's interesting. Now I know that I wasn't imagining it.

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  8. Oh wow - is it an escapee or part of a breeding programme I wonder? I'd be well chuffed to see one of those in the UK.

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  9. That's incredible, what Derek said. Lucky you to spot one of the eagles. We have bald eagles around here, but I've only seen them a couple of times nearer the coast. All large raptors are fascinating to me.

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  10. Wow - an Eagle over Bath! Such an exciting view - and you on the right spot at the right moment too. Lucky you!
    Here the Chinese egret has landed on the Bavarian meadows in front of my flat - passing through.

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    1. That is not my photo, but it may be the same bird.

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