Tuesday, May 15, 2012

one pixel Pallid Harriers

always in the wrong place at the wrong time -- when it flew right up the haven and past within 40m where I had been stood 15 minutes earlier I was 400m away -- the wind today was horrendous and it was winter all layers weather with frozen fingers inside gloves!
This was a striking bird with the upperparts often showing a greyish bloom to the brown tones; the belly and breast sometimes looked quite orange in duller light but then very pale in brighter light; the head pattern and boa were remarkably obvious at long range but it was the falcon like jizz that was most surprising compared to birds I have seen on migration or hunting slowly in hotter climes; the flicked wing beats and tightly closed wings forming a sharp pointed wing tip in rapid flight combined with the rakish tail and obviously protruding head produced a distinctive impression in fast flight.















These images were all taken at long range and are very small but I am a harrier nut so here they are -- Welwick - Patrington May 15th

1 comment:

jd said...

Haha, but it's one pixel more than me! Great to see though, even if at that distance.