Moreish

Cycled back to Morden Bog today for another look at the Short-toed Eagle, partly to avoid adding to the anticipated parking chaos, partly to get it on my bike list. It was a warm morning so I was a bit concerned about getting bitten half to death on the heath by the bugs which seem to find my blood so moreish. I needn't have worried - 500+ meatier, sweatier specimens than I had already assembled, providing ample distraction for the midges. After a patient wait, I got what I came for: a flight view. The bird took a short flight last night which I missed while cleaning my glasses - it was that short - but today's was the full works - a low flap and glide followed by a couple of majestic circuits before it gained height and soared south-ish, a Buzzard and a Hobby doing their best to see it out of Morden Bog airspace. The distance and heat haze combined to make photography a challenge but having just seen a bird I never thought I'd see in Britain there can be no complaints.