Paul and I had a visit this afternoon. We watched from the track that leads to the hide for a more panoramic view. The Marsh Harrier was showing all the time we were there from 3-5:30pm. It roved up and down the whole length of the reedbed with occasional rests in one of the willow clumps to the east. By contrast the Pallid harrier left it late, with it and the female Hen harrier not appearing until 4:45pm. The Hen harrier appeared close in and followed the hedge that leads down to the hide before dropping out of sight presumably to roost. The Pallid then showed as it hunted the bottom of the fields along the far edge of the Corse before drifting higher up the slope and eventually disappearing over the opposite skyline. It reappeared at 5:20pm from Starmans side and again hunted the fields the whole length before disappearing out of sight to the east. It was interesting to see its fast agile flight style as it chased passerines with it doing tern-like loop-the-loops, fascinating. Also the big flock of Lapwing and Golden plover that Richard mentions, 2 Heron. Merlin, kestrel, sparrowhawk and buzzard. Earlier the Lesser scaup was still above the 8-arch bridge towards the reedbed at Stackpole Court end of the lakes. Nice to see Kim G and Martin C at the scaup.
