Yes - it's a rare two post day today, but if a patch tick isn't worth it then what is?!
If you read my first post of the day below, you will see I went out again to see what I could turn up....it wasn't the rare I wanted, but that doesn't matter because it was a patch tick for me - I don't get these very often!
My plan was to watch from the farm gate (Axmouth) for about an hour from about 1pm. All was quiet, no sign of the Great Whites, and not the Glossy Ibis I was after. At 13:40 though, absolutely out of no where a ring-tail Harrier appeared low over Colyford Common being pursued by a couple of Crows.
A quick count up of its visible primaries confirmed my immediate thoughts - it was a Hen (drat!!). It rather rapidly gained height, before flying high south down the river being harassed by the persistent Crows. Just as it was about to go out of sight, it circled round and came back! Flying low north over the reeds of Axe Marsh, then Colyford Marsh, before I lost it whilst playing about with my phone trying to phone and text people!
Pallid would have been much nicer yes, but I have missed a couple of Hen Harriers on patch over the years so it was a bloody good feeling connecting with one finally!
Now I would love to be showing off a stunning pin sharp photo of this beast in all her glory (I'm pretty sure it was an ad female, it did look rather tatty), but I'm afraid the best I can offer is this...
You may be able to see it a little better if you enlarge the photo
If you read my first post of the day below, you will see I went out again to see what I could turn up....it wasn't the rare I wanted, but that doesn't matter because it was a patch tick for me - I don't get these very often!
My plan was to watch from the farm gate (Axmouth) for about an hour from about 1pm. All was quiet, no sign of the Great Whites, and not the Glossy Ibis I was after. At 13:40 though, absolutely out of no where a ring-tail Harrier appeared low over Colyford Common being pursued by a couple of Crows.
A quick count up of its visible primaries confirmed my immediate thoughts - it was a Hen (drat!!). It rather rapidly gained height, before flying high south down the river being harassed by the persistent Crows. Just as it was about to go out of sight, it circled round and came back! Flying low north over the reeds of Axe Marsh, then Colyford Marsh, before I lost it whilst playing about with my phone trying to phone and text people!
Pallid would have been much nicer yes, but I have missed a couple of Hen Harriers on patch over the years so it was a bloody good feeling connecting with one finally!
Now I would love to be showing off a stunning pin sharp photo of this beast in all her glory (I'm pretty sure it was an ad female, it did look rather tatty), but I'm afraid the best I can offer is this...
You may be able to see it a little better if you enlarge the photo
No comments:
Post a Comment