Raptors and Me

When I was a kid I used to spend my time walking the hills with the dogs. I would walk for miles along the beaches in Winter-time when no one was about, or to distant fields or any piece of waste ground in the chance of spooking up a rabbit for the dogs to chase.
 
 

I would try naming the trees to myself and if I came across something unusual that I didn’t know the name of, I would take a few leaves home and look it up in one of my books so I would know it next time. The wild flowers were not as easy to learn, but the different weeds like groundsel and chickweed I knew well because I collected pockets full to feed the tortoises and finches we kept as pets.

As most of my family were interested in animals or birds of one kind or another, on arrival home it was the norm to be asked; “Did ya see anything on your travels?” And this is where I emptied out my pockets to show an egg-shell that needed identifying or relate how I had seen a badger or stoat or other rarity.

But the highlight for me in any walk or cycle out into the countryside was to see a bird of prey......

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http://www.nationalbirdofpreycentre.ie/raptors-and-me.html