I seem to see a lot of Marsh Harriers, a species which is also my photographer’s nemesis. Maybe it’ s just that I like to do my birding and ringing where Marsh Harriers occur, marshes naturally enough but here in the North West they like our extensive farmland, where tall crops and scattered trees make the landscape look remarkably like a marsh.
Today’s male was at Fluke Hall, where I’d sat down on the stile to shelter in the lee of a gatepost from yet another heavy shower when the harrier appeared from over the sea wall and briefly circled the field north of Fluke. There are a couple of atrocious record shots of the distant bogey bird but at the end of this post there are some images from later in the day of a dependable bird that always performs for the camera – Wheatear.
The light was so poor I couldn’t get a proper shot of the local Peregrine either. It appeared from behind me, took a passing dive at a Starling and then shot out over the marsh into the distance.
Those two birds had been the highlight of the mile or two long walk from Lane Ends, with fairly unimpressive counts of much else save for a steady passage south of 100+ Swallows heading into the drizzle and murk: Otherwise my figures were: 2 Little Egret, 1 Grey Heron, 30 Teal. 42 Lapwing, 1 Raven, 1 Stock Dove, 1 White Wagtail, 8 Linnet, 70 Goldfinch and a solitary Skylark.
It was the Wheatears that brightened up the afternoon and saved the camera from having a blank day. There were five of them jumping about in the warm shelter of the boulders where the flies hang out. When the shutter clicked audibly, one or two stopped searching, and then perched up to alarm call, “chacking” loudly and then taking a better look at the intruder.
I hate to mention the dreaded "w" word but a spot or of decent stuff might lead to a little ringing soon.
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