A raptor strikes at sunset
by Claire Stares from on (#28QB9)
Langstone, Hampshire As the sparrowhawk swoops, corvids explode into the air like a firework starburst
It is the hour before sunset and the paddock is bathed in liquid gold light. Heavy rain and frost melt have saturated the soil and the turf is pockmarked with hoofprint craters. The horses' coats and feathered fetlocks are caked with mud the colour of wet concrete. Huddling round an old tractor tyre stuffed with hay, they jostle each other for the best stalks.
Related: Birdwatch: Sparrowhawk
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