tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24708956422503164512024-03-14T07:20:37.891-07:00RodT Nature NotesRod Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07091370586796916723noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2470895642250316451.post-79971182249615223692016-05-07T15:43:00.000-07:002016-05-07T15:45:32.844-07:00Hen Harriers In Worcestershire?<h1><p class="s2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span class="s3" style="line-height: 33.599998474121094px; font-size: 28px; font-family: 'Calibri Light';">Hen Harrie</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 33.599998474121094px; font-size: 28px; font-family: 'Calibri Light';">r</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 33.599998474121094px; font-size: 28px; font-family: 'Calibri Light';">s In Worcester</span><span class="s3" style="line-height: 33.599998474121094px; font-size: 28px; font-family: 'Calibri Light';">shire?</span><a name="_GoBack"></a></p><p class="s2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> </span></p><p class="s5" style="margin-top: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span class="s4" style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px; font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Calibri Light'; color: rgb(46, 116, 181);">2015</span></p><p class="s5" style="margin-top: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span class="s4" style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px; font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Calibri Light'; color: rgb(46, 116, 181);"></span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-weight: normal;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Last year when travelling back from a shopping trip in Droitwich on</span><span class="s2" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> </span><span class="s2" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">24/</span><span class="s2" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">02/2015 with my wife we saw a splendid male </span><span class="s2" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">hen harrier</span><span class="s2" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> in the field off Dark Lane between Bradley Green and Inkberrow, very close to what was the Bird In Hand pub. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkclFhjoAITSc-YNJbKLp43mXHcdrJTFFudmPivI3Yl-iewspoDdKlB8IklbxIohVnFj5oUKpUNEPckd3nl5YsZPLZ52AskEdprGPji8a2J6rdKeeDpMz4QEZKpwLGwxsHMwuhzJG4XNc/s1365/Photo%25252020160507233705118.jpg" target="_blank" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkclFhjoAITSc-YNJbKLp43mXHcdrJTFFudmPivI3Yl-iewspoDdKlB8IklbxIohVnFj5oUKpUNEPckd3nl5YsZPLZ52AskEdprGPji8a2J6rdKeeDpMz4QEZKpwLGwxsHMwuhzJG4XNc/s500/Photo%25252020160507233705118.jpg" id="blogsy-1462661099755.5684" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="413"></a></div><p class="s2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> </span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">I spotted the bird just</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> as</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> we turned the corner and immediately </span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">pulled onto t</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">he verge and s</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">topped</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">. The raptor was very different to </span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">any I have seen </span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">before. </span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">I had seen female hen harriers in Orkney</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> but this was a male, appeared white below, blue grey above, </span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">very black wing tips and a white rump. </span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">It was smaller than a buzzard</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">, larger than a sparrow hawk. Wings long with finger primaries narrower than marsh harrier</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">which I have seen many</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> times in Norfolk</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">. </span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"></span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> </span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Now my wife and I had both recently read </span><span class="s9" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-style: italic;">H is fo</span><span class="s9" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-style: italic;">r</span><span class="s9" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-style: italic;"> </span><span class="s9" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-style: italic;">Hawk</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> by Helen M</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">a</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">c</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">d</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">onald and we though</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">t we were looking at our first g</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">oshawk.</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> On reaching home 20 minutes later and going straight to the reference books it was obviously </span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">a male</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> hen harrier probably passing through northwards. </span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> </span></p><p class="s5" style="margin-top: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span class="s4" style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px; font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Calibri Light'; color: rgb(46, 116, 181);"></span></p><p class="s5" style="margin-top: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span class="s4" style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px; font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Calibri Light'; color: rgb(46, 116, 181);">2016</span></p><p class="s5" style="margin-top: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span class="s4" style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px; font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Calibri Light'; color: rgb(46, 116, 181);"></span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> </span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Fast forward to </span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">5</span><span class="s10" style="line-height: 8.399999618530273px; font-size: 7px; vertical-align: super;">th</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> May </span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">2016 and I am in the same area of Worcestershire only this time my vehicle is </span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">my bicycle returning home from a glorious ride along the narrow lane that passes through Saleway</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">.</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> </span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">A </span><span class="s6" style="line-height: 14.399999618530273px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">l</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">arge raptor flew low and fast across the lane about 10</span><span class="s6" style="line-height: 14.399999618530273px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">m</span><span class="s6" style="line-height: 14.399999618530273px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">eters</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> in front of me</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> turned right and flew </span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">al</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">ong the hedge. A light coloured buzzard was my first thought</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> as I accelerated to get closer, birds are not so bothered by cyclists I reckon the profile </span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">does not match a human.</span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"></span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"></span><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWIHe-xAw7fsY2ordD4zLGUs3tUXivgiUiZAG2m6YUT6JWU72g8dSYUYNZEwRyJczYzvHjMSYiacEBlY3F6SihqH1gJvZ8DJ4yQXNQOpTOyPEF95zhmA39vZ_P2D277SSAIanI3ZjmVrI/s1710/Photo%25252020160507233705119.jpg" target="_blank" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWIHe-xAw7fsY2ordD4zLGUs3tUXivgiUiZAG2m6YUT6JWU72g8dSYUYNZEwRyJczYzvHjMSYiacEBlY3F6SihqH1gJvZ8DJ4yQXNQOpTOyPEF95zhmA39vZ_P2D277SSAIanI3ZjmVrI/s500/Photo%25252020160507233705119.jpg" id="blogsy-1462661099765.1118" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="316"></a></div><p class="s2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span class="s6" style="line-height: 14.399999618530273px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span class="s6" style="line-height: 14.399999618530273px; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> </span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">Small for a buzzard</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">,</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> wings not so broad and a quicker wing beat</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">, behaving a bit like a sparrow hawk but bigger </span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">with straighter wings blunted at end with finger like primaries.</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> P</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">ale </span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">beneath and darker above</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">.</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> I </span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">have the common</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> </span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">ma</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">le colour blindness so </span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">green</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">s</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">, </span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">b</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">rowns and reds </span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">are </span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">often</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> hard to identify. </span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"></span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"></span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> </span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">I managed to get to about 2 m</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">eters</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> behind it when finally spooked it </span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">twisted </span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">and flew away across the field climbing to tree</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> height but when only 2 m</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">eters</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> away I clearly </span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">saw the white rump </span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">behi</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">nd </span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">t</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">he wings and above the tail. It </span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">looked</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> like a female hen harrier to me but early May is late for it to be passing through</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">. </span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"></span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> </span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">I do know what it was not</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">. It was not a sparrow hawk, hobby, kestrel, buzzard, marsh harrier</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">. Could it have been a goshawk</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">or was it a hen harrier? Are t</span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;">here any other sightings in Worcestershire recorded around that time.</span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> </span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> </span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> </span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> </span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 21.600000381469727px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 21.600000381469727px;"> </span></p></h1><p> </p><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small; clear: both;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" alt="Posted with Blogsy" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" height="20" />Posted with Blogsy</a></div>Rod Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07091370586796916723noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2470895642250316451.post-12065281185788499312013-12-12T15:12:00.001-08:002013-12-13T02:08:25.947-08:00Birds at Upton Warren<div dir="auto" style="margin-bottom: 1px; margin-top: 1.5em;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Grey December day, not sure whether to go for a couple of hours or not. Glad I did. Went to far hide on freshwater lake where I heard Cetti Warbler.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/roderickt-uk/11350840894" title="_RT38813 Pair Gadwall Ducks Upton Warren Worcestershire 12-12-2013 by RoderickT, on Flickr"><img alt="_RT38813 Pair Gadwall Ducks Upton Warren Worcestershire 12-12-2013" height="333" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5545/11350840894_347f193852.jpg" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;">
</div>
<div dir="auto" style="margin-bottom: 1px; margin-top: 1.5em;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="auto" style="margin-bottom: 1px; margin-top: 1.5em;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Curlews 8, teals, pair gadwalls, shoverlers, great black backed gull, cormorants, tufted ducks, lapwings and Canada geese.</span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="margin-bottom: 1px; margin-top: 1.5em;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Walking back to car I noticed a new nature trail had been laid around the small lake. This had a couple of wicker fences with a viewing slit set close to the reed bed. Checked the first one and there a few feet away was a water rail. May not be that rare but a first for me.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/roderickt-uk/11345012683/" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignnone" height="667" id="blogsy-1386889954190.7415" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7433/11345012683_a04752bbf5_c.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br />
</span><br />
<br />
<div id="blogsy_footer" style="clear: both; font-size: small; text-align: right;">
<a href="http://blogsyapp.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Posted with Blogsy" height="20" src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" style="margin-right: 5px; vertical-align: middle;" width="20" />Posted with Blogsy</a></div>
Rod Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07091370586796916723noreply@blogger.com0