Weather: cool overcast, spots of rain getting heavier. 9:10 to 11am.
First outing to a well-known (its documented in Lee Evan's site guide book) but apparently still undisclosed site for a rare speciality at the edge of its breeding range. I was soon joined by three others in the fields waiting patiently.
On arrival/car-park:
Skylark, Swift,Woodpigeon, Swallow - all over fields.
Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Great Tit - all in hedgerow.
Lesser Whitethroat - flying back & forth from straw bails to hedgerow, singing as well. An unexpected bonus!
Lesser Black-Backed Gull - over.
Black-Headed Gull - over.
Pheasant - fields.
Yellowhammer - hedgerow.
Buzzard - drifting distantly above coppice.
Marsh Harrier - another that drifted through.
Crow, Blackbird.
Pied Wagtail - 2 amongst crops & hedgerow.
Montagu's Harrier - all of a sudden the main event! After waiting for about 20 minutes, a beautiful male bounced into view shortly followed by another. They then quartered the fields more or less together before one caught something & did an amazing mid-air food-pass to a female who appeared up from the area where the nest apparently was. The males continued to hunt after but got further & further away before disappearing out of view. Although the weather began to close in I stuck around hoping they'd reappear to no avail.
Kestrel - over fields.
Whitethroat - hedgerow.
Stock Dove- over fields.
Mute Swan - over.
22 species, 1 new.
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