Kiew, kiew, kiew,
Gliding, on the wind flow
Heard first, then I see you
Scanning for his prey
The raptor hovers like a drone.
Will they see another day?
Nonchalantly banking with his tail
Swooping earthward
Talons flexed like coffin nails.
—-
I’m privileged that my home backs on to fields in the hills overlooking Belfast. The topography funnels wind, creating the perfect conditions for buzzards to glide and hover while they look for prey.
Regularly I watch as a breeding pair of these beautiful raptors soar and hunt in the fields that march the housing development.