a cracking Marsh Harrier in between the downpours

brief appearances in the heavy rain and then the short window between the blackness and rain this evening -- a nice bright 3cy male moulted his central tail feathers during the winter

Pochards

I am not really a lover of ducks but if you have to choose one drake Pochards take a bit of beating

a 2cy Common Buzzard over the patch

assuming this is a 2cy rather than older bird?

Marsh Harrier and frog

watching this male harrier hunting a field edge it suddenly twisted and dropped into a ditch coming up with this frog that it took away to eat -- while a known food item I think this is the first time I have actually seen a harrier catch a frog

new season Marsh Harriers

a stunning adult male arrived and in dispute with the incumbent younger male but mainly sparring with the resident female -- getting a sharp shot of a male spiralling down from his display flight is tricky particularly in a gale force wind with a hand held lens

a few more rubbish Two-barred Crossbill shots

showing bill profile and not a lot else -- always at the very top of 100 foot high beech trees

nice male Common Crossbill

but after 3 hours the Two-barred never showed and never heard it call either which was a bit odd