We went for a walk to a local high point this afternoon to watch the sun set on the winter solstice. It has been a windy day and we felt it as we walked out from the shelter of the trees and onto the ridge above the rolling Northamptonshire countryside.

We weren’t the only ones enjoying the view in the gusty breeze. We watched five red kites playing in the air, hanging on their wings and swooping down to the ploughed fields. As we walked to a good vantage point they flew back and forth across the scene which was starting to be lit by the dipping sun. We stood and watched them quartering the sky and the sun behind become surrounded in an orange haze. A bank of cloud momentarily blocked the view but the sun shone from behind, seemingly unusually large despite being at its furthest from us.

As the sun finally dipped behind the horizon, the kites drifted off to their night-time roost and we wandered back to the car in the increasing darkness.