The wonderful aerial displays by the swifts are over, now that they've headed south for the sun. Instead, today I was treated to a fascinating stand-off as a lone crow ( or possibly jackdaw) attempted to mob a buzzard. I suppose if he was a hooded crow you could call it a 'mugging'. Anyway, I just loved the way that with an almost contemptuous flick of his wing tips, the larger bird would lazily change direction; as if to say "Go away little fella, I've got important business to do". Perhaps its a game of 'dare' and the crow was being egged on by his mates in the wings (sorry!).
Back in the kitchen; the autumn harvest is slowly being transformed into market produce. It's such a shame that the massive beefsteak tomatoes produce so few jars, but the concentrated tomatoey taste is worth it.