Mighty battle of nature's Spitfire

Mankind's mastery of the skies has been a theme this summer with the pride of the RAF and American Top Guns delighting family days out.

- with STUART WINTER

A ceremonial Hurricane and Spitfire flypast over Buckingham Palace to mark VE Day brought patriotic goosebumps to attention. Two US F-35A Lightnings skimming the runway at Imperial War Museum Duxford shook every bone.

No matter how much those aircraft shockwaves are still reverberating, I must admit being blown away last week by watching two of nature's supreme flying machines locked in a dog fight.

Summer stillness had becalmed a morning walk around the local flooded claypits with a statuesque great egret the only bird requiring binocular attention.