Still at Church Lock Grove a Black Headed Gull in its winter plumage passed by as the sun caught it.
Waiting for more action my attention was drawn to a chorus of small birds chattering in the reeds near the canal when suddenly an unseen Sparrowhawk broke cover (a female I think rather than a juvenile, but I could be wrong) chased by the small birds. It circled overhead getting higher and attracting the attention of Swallows, before it glided away into the distance.
Whilst getting ready to move on I was surprised as a very low and slow flying aircraft came into view, quite close and travelling west to east, it also disappearing, but behind the hedges.
This is the second time I have seen this aircraft, and at an almost identical spot. A bit of research shows that it is an American Piper L-4H Grasshopper. This one, G-BKHG / 479766 is from 1942 when it was used by the US military as a scout plane and I believe is now part of the Duxford Aircraft Museum collection. again I am not sure, but I understand that planes with the stripes on the wings were used in some way as part of the D-Day landings in WW2
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