Starlings, who I have had a soft spot for ever since I got a closer look at their marital antics at the bird box by my office window, are superb imitators. I first became aware of this a couple of years ago on St Kilda, where the local population entertains itself by making fulmar calls, and been paying closer attention to that since.

For a while now I have suspected that one our starlings imitates buzzard calls. Earlier today I was proven right, for I caught him right at it, perched on his favourite hawthorn branch, giving it his all.

I am not very sure about the purpose (never mind the wisdom) of it, but he is pretty convincing. So much so that just ten minutes later ruckus erupted, as a mob of seagulls were chasing after a solitary buzzard low over the houses. Naughty boy.