Lytchett Fields 16th July 2016

Spent late morning early afternoon (11.00 – 14.50 Hrs) down at the fields looking for the Knots could not locate them but did watch some interesting birds.

At 11.50/55 a Marsh Harrier came across the fields putting everything up in the air had a good view as it glided up above me and in to the the bright blue sky it looked like a very scruffy female?

Secondaries and inner primaries a very pale bluish grey in the reflected light with dark out primaries, and a mixture of brown and off white in the mantle , lesser coverts bleeding in to the median covert area and pale coloured tail, what struck me was how light the secondaries and inner primaries were as it climbed higher and higher it was like I could almost see through them with light on them and how ragged the end of the tail and secondaries look making think it looked scruffy, still a very nice sight watched until lost at 12.00pm.

Also some highlights of the day.

Black- tailed Godwit – 21

Lapwing – 22

Common Sandpiper – 1

Little Ringed Plover - final count of 3

Greenshank – 1

Dunlin – 2 in summer plumage

Redshank – 10

Collard Dove – 2

Curlew – 35 out in the bay viewed from the black pipe

Whimbrel – 1 same as above

Stock Dove – 1

Little Egret – 15

Moorhen – 2 plus one well grown juvenile

Juvenile Black- headed Gull – 1

plus several red Admirals 

 

Red Admiral