first of the winter Hen Harrier

in the gale and dullness yesterday afternoon this Hen Harrier passed through Alkborough heading for the Blacktoft roost -- plumage features and iris colour seem a bit ambiguous but we think its and adult female -- will it hang around -- not a single record at Alkborough last year so even one record is a positive -- terrible shots at high ISO and distant bird in really poor light

the declining Curlew and increasing Black-tailed Godwit

gale force winds produced the highest ever Curlew count at Alkborough yesterday with 579 birds present - still 3400 Black-tails at Grimsby but by the end of January they will be thinking about heading down to the Ouse Washes though by the look of things water levels will need to recede somewhat
Planning to do a summary of my latest camera gear, not a proper review after a year and 2 years use of the Canon 5D4 and 400 DO 2 lens --

raptors

a nice adult female Marsh Harrier from this morning and a reedbed hunting Sparrowhawk; I missed the shot of the male Sparrowhawk that emerged from the reedbed carrying a male Bearded Tit!

alkborough birds

an interesting Marsh Harrier

easily aged as a juvenile ie now 1cy bird on upperpart pattern and the amount of creamy white on the underparts is individually variable but is this a male or female? structure is usually the key and if there is a bird of the other sex nearby direct comparison makes it easy -- I think most people wold suggest this is a female but when it was being chased by the 3cy male it was the same size if not smaller and of similar / same structure so I am assuming it is a male but on it's own I wouldn't have liked to make a positive ID ---all images in dull light hence high ISO and good crops as well

Sheld Duck

Grey Heron on ice