Harried Harrier

Today I have mostly been dipping Buff-breasted Sandpipers at Davidstow Airfield :-( This morning however I did see the Marsh Harrier that was found by Steve. I watched from the Farm Gate, from where I could see it trying its utmost to hunt along the river and reed beds. It was constantly harried by crows though and was forced to go to ground before eventually giving up and flying off northward.

Here's a photo challenge.Can you see the Marsh Harrier trying to hide in the long grass? I'm afraid the Crows had it surrounded though. It is there just to the right of the post.

The same scene with a bit less zoom so you can't see the Harrier, but what's that in the background? Yes, a naughty birder, standing on the bank, digiscoping a Barn Owl. Tsk!

Can't tell who it is?

 How about now?

A new addition to the 'Rouges Gallery of Naughty Birders'

Marsh Harrier

With reports of Ospreys not far to the  north, east and west of us today , hopes were high this afternoon when Bun and I arrived at Black Hole Marsh/Colyford Common to wait for one to fly over our patch. I haven't seen an Osprey on Patch since September 2008 (the bird pictured at the foot of this blog)  There have been a few but I've managed to miss them all. In fact I haven't seen an Osprey at all, anywhere, since then! I still haven't :-( What we did see, however was a Marsh Harrier, coincidently the first I've seen on patch for almost two years! It hung around for about an hour, periodically hunting over the Axe Marsh and Colyford Marsh reed beds before finally tiring of the constant harassment from the local crows. It flew off high south, fortunately not before it was seen by most who came down to see it. The three gorgeous Curlew Sandpipers were still on Black Hole Marsh, and a Little Ringed Plover was new on Colyford Marsh..

A couple of naff snaps of the Marsh Harrier from the 'super' super-zoom. It didn't do too badly all things considered.

Also today's addition to the'Naught Birders' series...

Some 'naughty birders' are serial offenders, so it seems. ;-)