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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Harrier Roost (1 Viewer)

CJW

Hit-and-run WUM
Well, today has been one of those days when you just sit indoors watching the rain lashing against the windows and hoping for something exotic, like a Brambling, visit the garden feeding station.
Horrendous winds and horizontal rain all day have gone a good way to helping me understand why some people suffer from S.A.D.
Anyways, at around 3pm the rain eased to a fine drizzle, and eventually stopped altogether, leaving me with something of a dilemma. Do I go out for the last hour of birdable light and leave the roaring log fire?
In the end I decided to brave the conditions and get out there for my weekend 'fix'.
I drove the 6 miles or so to Close Sartfield Nature Reserve in Ballaugh Curraghs and arrived at the tower hide at 4pm.
The first birds I saw were 3 ringtail Hen Harriers in the air together closely followed by a Merlin dashing over the tops of the willows. Ordinarily this would be a pleasing sight, but it left me wondering how long the birds had been coming into roost before my arrival.
After just 25 minutes and in almost complete darkness, I headed for home, and that fire, having counted 56 Hen Harriers (inc. 16 males) and a Long-eared Owl all enjoyed with the background noise of ½dozen squealing Water Rails.
 

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Hi CJW,

That sounds fantastic!

I too had a bit of a Harrier day..... braved the elements over at Elmley in Kent and saw many Marsh Harriers (still a bit of a novelty for me) and my first ever 2 Hen Harriers, one of which was a ringtail.

Ruby
 
Hi CJW
That is an absolutely phenomenal count! One Hen Harrier for every 4 square miles of the island. I presume you have an influx of migrant birds. What is the normal wintering population on the island?
 
I`ve often envied the size of the Hen Harrier Roost you have there -must be a fantastic sight! Still the Isle of Man is probably a bit far to justify the trip!!!
 
Aquila said:
Hi CJW
That is an absolutely phenomenal count! One Hen Harrier for every 4 square miles of the island. I presume you have an influx of migrant birds. What is the normal wintering population on the island?

Actually Aquila, that's a pretty average count for this particular roost. In very harsh weather (freeze-ups) the count is often in excess of 120 birds and there is a second roost further south with up 40 birds in it.
So, given that our breeing population is about 45 pairs, say each raising a couple of chicks a year, I don't think we get that many birds visiting the island.
It really is one of the joys of living here - being able to spend an hour so on your own in such a beautiful landscape with only 100 Hen Harriers and a few squealing Water Rails for company.
Can you believe it? I was the only person present.
I'd be happy to show any visitors round the island for a couple of days if they wanted to come - not cheap though. But where is else in Europe (and possibly the World) can you enjoy such an experience?
 
And I can vouch for your prowess as a guide. A fabulous late spring day birding.... a lifer (Southern Grey Shrike)....seeing a Hen Harrier acting like a Sparrowhawk, crashing through a garden, 1000's of Manxies and some excellent beer.

As Arnie would say... I'll be back!
 
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