Saturday, 27 August 2011

Kilimanjaro....


....two raptors, and yet another of those irresistible Barn Owl images.

Andreas and Steve.

OK....I know this is supposed to be a birding blog and not a begging blog, but for many weeks now there has been a link in my sidebar to the 'Kilimanjaro Trek 2011' in which Steve on the right in the pic above and his brother-in-law Andreas on the left are aiming to conquer Kilimanjaro in the name of a charity committed to the cure for cancer. The last time I visited their website they were a few hundred pounds short of the target and I wondered if you could/would help. You can read all about this venture - or should that be adventure - by these two guys and make a donation if you wish HERE.

As for the Merlin....

Merlin. Martin Jump     

My most favourite raptor, lightning fast and can lock on to its prey with Exocet precision. My two most memorable experience of this bird to date was the day I watched it in pursuit of a Meadow Pipit, this feathered creature followed every twist and turn of the passerine with unbelievable speed and accuracy. On a previous sighting the Merlin had become the prey of a Peregrine Falcon which I observed with dropped jaw one day on Jeremy Lane, a spectacle I'm not ever likely to forget and which lasted a few minutes before the Merlin did eventually escape and both birds went their separate ways....magical and memorable. Thanks for the photograph MJ.

Red Kite. Phillip Tomkinson

And the magnificent Red Kite with thanks to PT.

And as for the Barn Owl....

Barn Owl. David Cookson

Irresistible like I said, an incredible bird, and an incredible photograph....Thanks DC. 

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