6 April 2021

A walk around the lanes on a crisp, clear, bright afternoon. As we headed along the farm track, I glanced up and spotted a buzzard hovering in the updraft above Little Moor. Buzzards have always been rare around here, in sheep country, but seem to have become a bit more common in recent years. I then spotted a second buzzard off to my left. The first soared down to join it while a kestrel hovered low near the ruined farmhouse, and a curlew burbled somewhere nearby.

Buzzard
Buzzard

A strong side-light, with dark, dramatic skies over the Moor. Then a hail shower scudding down the Hebden Valley far below. Within a minute, the shower spread, heading up the hillside towards us. The second half of our sunny stroll instantly turned into a stomp through a blizzard.

Hail shower heading down the Hebden Valley.
Hail shower heading down the Hebden Valley.

Richard Carter

Richard Carter is a writer and photo­grapher living in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire. He is currently working on a book about looking at the world through Darwin’s eyes.Website · Newsletter · Mastodon · Facebook

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