Raptorial summer delights

Blimey, is it really eight weeks?

July can be hard work birdwatching - breeding activity has died down and the crops and general undergrowth hide so much. Last weekend was typical with seemingly little on show. On reflection it was actually pretty good. Highlights were a male Marsh Harrier, 2 Hobby, juvenile Peregrine, 2 Yellow-legged Gulls, Spotted Flycatcher, and a singing Corn Bunting. Also a nice supporting cast of butterflies including Small Copper and Brown Argus.

Six species of raptor in any weekend is good, in July it's a wee bit special. I even managed a few distant record shots of the harrier.

Adult males are the easiest to identify, having a brown body, silver wings with black primaries.

The bird was slowly quartering it's way around field edges near Kelk Beck late afternoon Sunday.

Occasionally the bird would adopt a hovering pose but they don't really do much of that, it's more a 'pause' than anything.

Twenty years ago Marsh Harriers were more likely to be seen locally than Buzzard, but now the latter is the easiest of all raptors to see. If you saw the bird below in silhouette you should immediately think 'harrier' - Buzzards are rarely seen flying low down around here.

One last view - more typical quartering flight, low along a field drain or rough patch. 

Report on the rest of the weekend later...