Bog Myrtle & Peat

At a time of year when buzzards are at their most conspicuous, the added bonus of a free meal really brings them to the forefront. Driving home from work this evening, I came across three buzzards in a field of freshly cut silage, all bowing their heads together in a small party. Pulling over, I got out of the car and crawled through the undergrowth to a point at which I could see what they were up to. It emerged that a rabbit had been sliced to bits by a silage cutter, and these venerable priests were administering the last rites.

Galloway has recently become well known for its population of red kites, and these birds are building a strong relationship with carrion in silage fields, so it follows that buzzards would be on hand to pick through the best of the agricultural carnage as well. Having once come across the tattered remains of a roe kid in a row of cut silage, it seems that these accidents happen all too often. For once, I was grateful that the buzzards were around to help tidy up.