Thursley Common – the rarest of places
On a beautiful spring day, Thursley Common emits a magic unique. The warm sun radiates off the sandy trails and the perfume of pine hangs in the air. A flat landscape of low heather and gorse is framed by pine trees. within this areas of mire play host to dragonflies and damselflies, a key part of a Hobby’s diet. The hobby is an elegant falcon, smaller and slimmer than a peregrine but no less impressive. Hobby, courtesy of Wiki (my camera is elsewhere doing a fine job for my daughter for the next month) Two of these fast-flying falcons passed overhead hunting for food on the wing. I had missed seeing these wonderful birds last year so this was a good start to a 3 hour visit that was only going to produce 20 species but it would be quality not quantity at Thursley. My basic route takes me around the perimeter of the reserve which on this occasion meant treading over some perilous planks and thick tree branches which had been thoughtfully put down to act as pontoons over the mars