As the month rolls on, summer migrants are arriving every day now…and the bird of prey action is improving all the time. Kiersten snapped this interesting image on the hillside above Lanjaron, and I have to say it had me immediately intrigued…
Patrolling relatively low over the ground, wings held in a shallow “V”…with the basic grey-brown plumage on the wing and those distinctive black wingtips the bird immediately suggests a male harrier…but which one? With migrant Montagu’s Harriers now returning to join our resident Marsh Harriers, and Hen Harriers on passage to breeding grounds further north, a positive identification needs some careful consideration.
We’ve got a good view of the bird’s wings and the plumage can offer us some clues. Montagu’s Harrier is certainly a possibility but the black wing bar, so characteristic of the male of that species, is totally absent from our individual. The male Hen Harrier carries the same black wingtips of course but the rest of the wing is a more uniform, mid-grey…a closer look at the photo reveals a darker, browner belly, at odds with the clean white of the Hen Harrier male. The tell-tale “tri-coloured” wings are an important point of detail here. Warm, light brown “shoulders” with the grey patch behind, extending to black fingertips…nice work Kiersten! Our first male Marsh Harrier of the year!
Once again, a new sighting has had me tracking back through last year’s blogs…I saw just one individual male, high up and heading east, as I worked on the hillside above the village on March 19th. It’s the best part of a month later in the year…but to have one hunting locally is a fantastic development. With any luck this elegant bird of prey will stay on for a while…we’ll keep posting all the latest updates, so stick with us for all the daily news!
