A Close Encounter, of a Kestrel kind!

 

I have always loved nature. Maybe it is because I went to a Boarding School in the heart of Shropshire, way back in the 60's. Or maybe it's just because I value the world we live in. However, I have never valued nature so much as on one day in December 2010.

My partner was at work and my son at school. It was a cold, crisp but surprisingly sunny day. One of the few that month. I decided to step into the garden to listen to the birds singing their winter songs to me, and so stood on the decking, admiring the brief change in the weather. The top of the fence panels held over an inch of virgin snow and I felt at peace with life.

For my sins, I am a smoker and so I lit a cigarette while feeling entranced with the world. Before I had taken a breath, a magnificent sight unfolded before me. From the South flew a beautiful bird, a Kestrel, which landed on a fence panel, not six feet from me! Snow rose as claws landed, the Kestrel flapped her wings once before settling down to look straight into my eyes.

I froze, not wishing to scare this beautiful creature away. She sat stock still on the fence panel, looking me up and down with those penetrating eyes. Her look was almost one of disdain, her piercing gaze making me feel inadequate. I could not look away and we stared at each other for roughly five minutes. The lit cigarette in my hand burned slowly away, ignored. When the flame reached the tip, I held onto it, the small amount of heat soothing my otherwise cold fingertips. The kestrel and I continued to lock eyes with each other until, seemingly tiring of my company, she stretched her incredible wings and launched herself off the panel, soared away into the sunny sky and flew away. For what seemed like an age, I stood on the decking, feeling strangely lost and lonely. There was an empty feel to my life and I wondered where the Kestrel would fly to now, who else would she grace with her presence?

At that time, I was living in a suburb of Leicester and sightings of birds of prey were rare, as far as I knew. I had not seen a ring on the Kestrels legs and so assumed that she was wild, free to fly to wherever she chose and, hopedfully, unhindered my humans. Maybe it's my imagination, but I sensed that this Kestrel was trying to tell me something. Maybe that I should give up smoking? Possibly.However, I believe that she was reminding me that I really did not belong in a city, that I should move to the countryside. It took a while to sink in but that's exactly what I did. Moved to North Wales where I can see Buzzards, Kestrels and many other of natures wonderful creations. Thank you Kestrel. Come and see me again sometime. Please.