These birds had been chased away from their usual nesting area on a hill nearby by Common Buzzards. They had to build new nests in a new area nearby in a short time. They chose islands in gravel pits. They would relentlessly return for twigs in repeated cycles and fly them to their partner in the hawthorns, just as the bushes were flowering. The shots are deliberately under-exposed in order to preserve highlights on the lighter colour feathers.