Hen Harrier

[Eastside Urchin]

My first Hen Harrier(female!) today on the A259 between romney and Rye while i was parked up in a lay by eating my lunch and it showed for about 10 minutes not more than 50 metres away,great lunchtime!!

[I am Spartacus]

You can see then quite often round the Marshes there. Suppose you do take for granted what is common (or not rare) in certain areas.

 

PS Rob admit though you were admiring the Sheep really

[Eastside Urchin]

lol,first i thought it was a marsh harrier but after about 5 seconds it became apparant it was actually a hen,a much rarer bird!

[Dagger03]

UM - marsh harriers are often found in that area - are you sure it was a hen?

 

If you ever get to the Isle of Man, go out to Ballaugh, and then to the nearby Curraghs (an area of osier beds and flax) - in they come, up to forty every night, to their communal roost - as far as I know, the Curraghs in autumn and especially in winter is the home to the biggest hen harrier roost in the UK.

 

Long way to go for a hen harrier? No, because the next day you can go down to the Sound for the choughs - (very common and almost guaranteed in the nearby fields and cliffs). Also plenty of shags, also eider.

 

Then on to Peel Castle for black guillemot.

 

[Eastside Urchin]

yeah it was definatly a hen,there are alot of marsh harriers around there although i didn't see any.

If i only had a brief view through my bins i would of thought it was a marsh but i had a good 10 minutes of it either on the ground or hunting in the field