Country diary: Two kings of the cliff, living in something like harmony | Lev Parikian

Blackgang Beach, Isle of Wight: For a moment on a deserted beach, raven and peregrine rattle their sabres before going about their business once moreYou have to know it's there. A scramble down narrow paths, brushing aside overhanging branches, then out on to the rocks before a short descent to the fine shingle. The reward? A deserted beach, curving into the distance. Channel to the left, chalk cliffs to the right. Human count: zero. Perfect.Two hundred gulls huddle together by the shoreline, choosing that particular spot for secret gull reasons. Occasionally one lifts off and does a short go-around, a flurrying pixel in my binoculars. Continue reading...