Marsh harriers sky dancing at Blacktoft

 

The weather could have been kinder for my last shift of the year at Blacktoft. It started to rain soon after I arrived at 0830 and it was still raining when I left at 1600, with just a couple of brief dry intervals.

The wildfowl were favouring the lagoons on the west of reception, Reedling to Ousefleet, because of the wind and the rain. During the few dry intervals the marsh harriers would fly over the lagoons, making the ducks fly as they looked for injured or slow flying birds.

I visited the hides during one of the brief dry spells

Not brilliant photos due to the weather, plus I was using my old 300 Canon lens.

96 wigeon were on the Marshland lagoon along with 12 shelduck. There were 6 male and 1 female shoveler. The males would make a short flight and then the female would follow them.

About 3pm the marsh harriers started to come into roost in the reedbed near Singleton hide. At one stage Stu and I counted 16 in the air at the same time. A nice memory for the end of the year birding.