UKC

So far, I’ve seen 3 today !!  A stunning adult male, then two ringtails displaying and fighting with each other. Photo = back of camera job. Utterly and totally superb. 

Awesome. Rubbish lighting, they move quick etc etc, but still ace!  Looks like it’s a young male (young males have similar plumage to females) and an adult female. The young male is the upper bird, looks a bit smaller and has some grey coming through. I photographed this male the other week. 

Tell them not to come to Yorkshire! Big chance of the grouse botherers shooting or poisoning them.

Not quite up to your usual standard, if you don’t mind me saying so. But as usual, I’m filled with envy. Only ever seen one and that was on a little hill called Heversham Head just half a mile from home. It was flying like it was drunk, only about 20 feet up and falling about all over the place. I noticed mostly the black tips of the wings and the otherwise mainly grey plumage, so I think that makes it a male, doesn’t it? (Very bad bird watcher, me)

edit just seen second picture, much nicer

I'd add Lancashire to the danger zone. 20 years ago I'd see Hen Harriers around Pendle. Not seen one since!

I thought you were meant to be knocked out by covid - Martin Mere?

I'm still to see a ringtail - males, pah, seen several (still love seeing them again of course)

Yes, you saw a male. When they breed, a male will service two females, ie mate, catch all the food for the chicks etc. So you see a lot less males. And your description of its flight is accurate - they keep low and floppy wing beats. They can shift though, fast birds. That’s why they are hard to photograph - they keep low and fast so the camera tries to  focus on the vegetation etc rather than the bird. Not only that, but where I see them I’m stood on a sea ‘wall’ - a massive bund that protects farm land from flooding - so I’m often looking down on them. 

The Flatlands are a great place to avoid people !  The harriers were near that pumping station at Banks, I’d walked there from Hesketh Out Marsh. 

I'm sure I've mentioned this before, unless you're already in a commanding position, typical Hen Harrier spot goes something like this...

1. Is that a Hen Harrier that's just flown past
2. Hen Harrier flies over bank
3. You rush up bank
4. Hen Harrier is nowhere to be seen 

We've just done the bird hunt for the RSPB. Had a siskin in the garden for the first time. How common are they?

Siskins?  Not common in gardens, that’s a great sighting. I’ve seen one in my garden in 12 years !  

That made me laugh !  Spot on. 

Depends where you are. In this bit of NW Scotland siskins are frequent visitors to the garden but their numbers vary; sometimes a only a few, sometimes 20+.

Dave

I did that yesterday. Usually we get quite a few birds in the garden as we keep plenty of unkempt bits. Yesterdays count for the hour was 1 blackbird, 1 wood pigeon!

Reckon one of your neighbours was feeding them on Trill Deluxe.