[caldrail]

The other day I was walking across my home town seeing to one of obligatory but unwanted activities that life sets once in a while. The particular part of town I was passing through isn't the most salubrious, but there's little danger when things are quiet. Nonetheless above me was a fight for the skies over Swindon, a real dogfight in progress.

I had heard the constant shriek of a seagull. Although very much inland seagulls are commonly seen in Swindon so I paid it no attention. On a house roof nearby a crow was getting agitated. I'm sure I wasn't the cause, and that point I awoke from my comatosed condition and wondered why the seagull was making such a noise. A hawk was circling at the same altitude, trying to mind it's own business, as the seagull made persistent attempts to get it to go somewhere else.

Was the hawk on home gorund or an unwelcome intruder? I have no idea, but it was concerned with spotting targets of opportunity on the ground and resisted the seagulls intimidation with some extraordinary coolness under duress. Eventually the seagull realised it wasn't going to win, fell silent, and glided away in defeat. I don't know where the crow went.

Just another little drama in the natural world I guess, but it was unexpected and interesting to watch.