Author: [email protected] (Richard Ellis)
Marsh harriers are highly variable between ages, sexes and individuals, and (adult males in between) can be confusing at the best of times. Add in the 500m range, often poor visibility and fast-growing scrub, and a close look at individuals in Corse, and so deciding how many birds are around can be difficult. Thanks to some post-match analysis of some remaining photos by Caroline Pickett and Alan Merrett, we now know we had at least 4, maybe 5 individual marsh harriers in Corse throughout September and October. though no more than two are seen on a given day.Caroline and I…
After a few no-shows, I had an amazing close encounter this morning as I walked back to Castlemartin Church. As I approached the West-Court Farm sheds, the pale harrier flew W past me at about 30-40m range. I enjoyed the view through the bins, as it would not be visible for long. It briefly disappeared behind a belt of trees, and I was able to fire off a few distant record shots as it continued down the valley before it splashed to the left and over a (very depleted) clump of Monterey pines. It was in a bearing that would…
Upstream, noticeable is a very large herd (>1000) lappingand about 600 golden plover 8 little egrets in the field, one gray heron in jail, a buzzard on a fence post.I met Mark Saunders struggling in the mud on his way to the hideout, Caroline Pickett was already there. He had a close encounter with pale harrier flying over the hide, hopefully an image to follow, Mark and I arrived just in time to see it reappear from the east and fly over Corse to hunt on the northern side. In a crazy few minutes a man sparrowhawk it buzzed, and…
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…