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In the Headlights

Travelling back from Oxford last night I encountered a muntjac between Askett and Cadsden. Nothing unusual in itself although it did hang around by the side of the road looking as if it was considering entering itself for the Darwin Awards, not that that is unusual for muntjac either. From its behaviour I thought there might be more on the other side of the road about to join it so, slowing down, I kept an eye on the hedgerow in time to see a badger lumbering into the fields. The books always show you a clear view of the mask, in real life what you usually see is what looks like an ambulant grey sandbag heading away from you.

The journey to Oxford gave a good view of a red kite just outside Chesham above Missenden Road and a glimpse of another further away. This afternoon I saw a buzzard between Ley Hill and Latimer, more commonplace than a kite in the grand scheme of things but rather more unusual locally.

The goldfinches are not visiting so often and I have not seen a siskin for a while now. Stepping into the garden to clear up after some earlier planting I was soundly scolded by a marsh tit who kept swooping across to the feeder, returning to the lilac without taking anything and then giving me a piece of his mind before repeating the process.

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