Food shortage

For late September in Orkney, the weekend weather was mild and rather pleasant. Being outdoors was a joy, which is why we were sat in the garden with a cuppa when the call of a Raven drew our attention to the sky above Midland Hill. This hill is to the north of the garden and we watched a bird gliding effortlessly to and fro on outstretched wings, patrolling the ridge. We quickly realised that it wasn't in fact a Raven, the corvid's call had likely been a warning that there was a predator around. No, this was a Peregrine falcon, expertly using the southerly breeze to maintain height above the hill, which allowed it to scan a wide area for potential prey.

I have no idea how long it had been there before the Raven's call, but we watched it soar back and forth for over quarter of an hour. Time enough to go and retrieve binoculars for a better view. Indeed, time enough to saunter back indoors again and fetch a 'proper' camera, as my small compact one wouldn't cope with either the distance involved or the rapid movement of the subject.

Eventually, the falcon did spot a target worthy of its attention and, with a few wing flaps, adjusted its position before beginning a shallow stoop which took it over the garden, before disappearing towards Midland Ness in the classic anchor silhouette of a hunting Peregrine.

Looking at a map later, I reckoned that the distance to what it was hunting was a mile away from its starting position above the hill. In this particular instance, it was unsuccessful, as we spotted it again, rearing up above the shore, diving in pursuit of some small bird, then giving up and making the journey back to the hill on laborious wings, where it once again used the breeze to ascend aloft.

After a while, it made another stoop, this time to the west of us, in pursuit of a small flock of Starlings which were busy foraging between a field of cows and someone's garden bird feeders. Again it was unsuccessful, perhaps the Raven's call had the rest of the local ornithology on full alert, and the Peregrine wearily dragged itself back though the air to its vantage point above Midland Hill. Patrolling was resumed, and the raptor's third stoop took it behind the hill, so we lost sight of both the falcon and the fate of its prey.