Perfect Day

Barn Owl, originally uploaded by http://andrewskelton.net.

I do have to admit I am a Lou Reed fan.. I know he can’t really sing… he doesn’t do fancy fretwork on the guitar like some guitarists… I just like his stuff.  Perfect Day.. it was probably his most commercial work but you can’t deny it’s a great tune.  It’s a bit like some of Iggy’s stuff.. even though The Passenger and Lust For Life have featured on adverts – they’re great and powerful songs and I still love him (in a musical sense of course).  So perfect day.. I didn’t drink sangria in the park or when it get’s dark, walk home.. but it has been a fantastic day.

As I mentioned yesterday I had a photo day at the Hawk Conservancy near Andover. Sure it rained. I got mightily wet as well, though I didn’t care too much – laying down on the floor at the end of the day to get a shot of a Harris Hawk tearing into a dead quail (the bit where it ripped out the intestine was particularly “lovely”). I didn’t care a jot, I was having too much fun. Today’s photo of the Bard Owl was taken there, and it also proves we did have some good sunlight as well.

I love things that are unexpected and take my breath away, even at my age, and the Hawk Conservancy managed to do that. Towards the end of the day, and feeling rather fatigued, we were lead out to the middle arena and one of our guides, Gareth, said he was going to bring out something special – then when I questioned him, he wouldn’t say. I’ve been going to the Hawk Conservancy for years and I was speculating (in my mind) as to what of their exhibits it was going to be. I was in no way prepared for what he did bring out – something new to the centre…. a Golden Eagle.

I’ve seen numerous golden eagles before and have never really felt any affinity with them.. I must have been barmy at the time… this one had me spell bound. A mature female, her size and plumage was magnificent, I was.. for one.. speechless. You will see pictures of her, over and over again, but take my word for it she has changed my opinion of these birds – I am now a huge fan of them – so much so I now resemble a wind turbine!

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