Approaching from the east I saw the woman marsh harrier over the reed, and a buzzard. I was sitting in the shelter at about 10.45 when the pale harrier burst out of the reeds 50 meters in front of the cover, flew towards me and then west at point blank range. Exciting views. It flew down to the fen meadow, putting about 1200 lapping and 3-400 golden ploverAfter causing chaos for a few minutes, it ascended the Gupton fields and disappeared over the ridge. The photos are completely redundant after Alan’s efforts yesterday (and Dave O’s the other day), and I left it too late to get the camera, just enjoying the view, but this is my best record shot .
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A peregrine tore the lapwings not far from the Starman’s Hall. The lapwings and goldies continued to be in the air for the next half hour.
On my way back to the track it was a pleasure to meet Dave and Lisa, who had come over from Gupton and were plowing through the mud on the track. Returning to the fen meadow east of the hide I placed a jack snipe, my first one there in a while. With a red kite near the Speculation Inn and a Merlin in the hedge near Kingsmill, a good day for raptors.
