Review of 2019 and 2020 - Birds: Raptors

VULTURES, EAGLES, HAWKS, HARRIERS, KITES and BUZZARDS (family ACCIPITRIDAE)


Lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus - News of a Lammergeier summering in Derbyshire had been of some interest but never really excited me enough to think it worth travelling up to see it during a pandemic.  It hadn't been seen for a while and wasn't on many people's minds when James Lowen found a huge raptor just down the road here.  He was in a hurry and assumed it was a White-tailed Eagle, but thankfully wasted no time posting pictures of it on Twitter.  I saw his message and immediately wondered if it might be something a whole lot more interesting, but he was reporting that it was in a field south of Foxley and frankly even if it was "just" a White-tailed Eagle, I didn't want to waste any time getting to it.  So, rather than lookng at the photos closely enough to make sure of the ID I jumped straight into the car, put foot to the ground and sped to Foxley, not entirely sure if I was going to see an eagle or a Lammergeier when I got there.  

Five minutes later I arrived but there was no sign of any large raptor nor anyone looking at it.  By now Twitter and WhatsApp were buzzing and James had been made aware that his photos did in fact show the Lammergeier - but he was half way to the coast.  I called him for more details and although he wasn't sure of the road numbers I worked out that he'd seen it in the field at the junction of the B1145 and the A1067 which I had just passed (so Bawdeswell really), but more to the point it had flown off low to the west - i.e. towards where I had come from!  So I headed back to North Elmham, keeping my eyes out as I went, but couldn't see it.  I decided the higer ground the the north west of North Elmham muight be a good place to look from and set up there.  After seeing a few Buzzards I picked up a large raptor in my bins that looked more interesting, and went to find it in my scope.  At this point James called to say Mike had relocated it, but James didn't know where and suggested I call him.  After scrambling around to find Mike's number I called him, but couldn't get through, and now I couldn't see the bird again.  Fortunately Mike messaged me back to say he was watching it from the Bintree to Billingford road (so it may well have been the bird I had picked up which was in that direction).  I got back in my car and sped back to Billingford.  I'd been in touch with Dave N and he arrived before me so was able to direct me as I arrived to see it flying directly overhead, slowly moving west with Buzzards.  What an amazing thing to see less than 2 miles from my house!  

Having enjoyed watching the Lammergeier for um, not very long, it occurred to me that it was flying straight towards my house, and not very fast.  Not as fast as I could drive.  How cool would it be to see a Lammergeier from my house?  A couple of mintes later I was tumbling out of my car in my drive and running upstairs to my study with its east-facing window.  After 2-3 minutes Buzzards started coming into view.  They were circling around going in and out of view behind houses and trees, but they were coming this way, and then YES, there's a HUGE raptor among them!  I switched to my scope as it disappeared behind a tree and that was it.  The whole flock seemed to be veering further south, so out of view from my position.  That briefest of views of what obviously was the Lammergeier (but frankly could have been any raptor that's at least 3 times the size of a Buzzard) was going to be all I could get from my house and I'm still not convinced I made the right decision to leave it where it was showing well just to be able to say Ive seen a Lammergeier from my house.

Anyway, I decided to get back in the car and see if I could relocate it.  It was seen again by others but being so distant from the viewpoints it was seen from it was difficult to work out exactly where it was from their directions, and I didn't manage to connect with it again.  Still, an amazing experience even if in hindsight I might have enjoyed it even more if I hadn't run round quite so much like a headless chicken.  Had I gone straight to the meadows I am sure I would have seen it from there and got it on my patch list, but then I wouldn't have also seen it from my house and wouldn't have had the views I got from Billingford.

Lammergeier, Billingford, 28th September 2020

Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos - A first for me was seeing Golden Eagle chicks in an eyrie on Mull in June 2019.  Although I was watching from a safe distance I didn't feel like spending too long there and so didn't see the adults.


Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus - Despite evidence of breeding locally I don't see this species as often as I would expect at the meadows (and still less at home).  8 records at the meadow in 2019 and only 2 in 2020, but a good handful of other local records.

Sparrowhawk, Lobregat Delta (Spain) 22nd February 2020

Sparrowhawk, Gava Mar (Spain) 22nd February 2020

Marsh Harrier Circus aeuginosus - 2 records at the meadows in 2019, on 26th April and 25th August, the latter a bird with red wing-tags that was hunting the meadows.  Unfortunately I wasn't able to read the tags.  4 records there in the last quarter of 2020 involving at least 2 birds but one that seems to be overwintering locally (seen again in 2021).  One flew over my garden on 30th May 2020, my first record here.  Another red wing-tagged bird was at St Benet's Abbey on (this one inscribed CC, a female ringed near Thorpe Haddiscoe on 9th June 2019).

Marsh Harrier, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th August 2019

Marsh Harrier, St Benet's Abbey, 2nd December 2019

Marsh Harrier, Burnham Overy, 25th December 2019

Marsh Harrier, Llobregat Delta, 21st February 2020

Marsh Harrier, Llobregat Delta, 22nd February 2020

Marsh Harrier, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th November 2020

Marsh Harrier, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 28th December 2020

Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus - An adult female flew low over the meadows on 27th November 2020.

Hen Harrier, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th November 2020

Red Kite Milvus milvus - One at the meadows on 15th February 2019 was, surprisingly, the only bird I saw there in my first 2 years of watching.  2020 was slightly better with birds seen on 27th May and 18th September.  Also one from the house on 3rd and 8th June, my first here.  A few other records from other locations both years.

Red Kite, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th February 2019

Red Kite, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th September 2020

White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla - 3 adults on Mull including a pair at a nest site.

White-tailed Eagles (and Hooded Crow), NE Mull, 9th June 2019

Rough-legged Buzzard Buteo lagopus - One at Wells on 1st January 2020.

Rough-legged Buzzard, Wells, 1st January 2020

Buzzard Buteo lagopus - Regularly seen at the meadows with up to 10 in the air at once and birds sometimes roosting around the meadows. Sometimes seen from home too.

Buzzard, Carsaig Road (Mull), 13th June 2019

Buzzard, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th December 2019

Buzzard, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd March 2020

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Burnham Overy goodness

The drive up to Burnham Overy got me no less than 4 Barn Owls (Brisley Common, Horningtoft, South Creake and south of Burnham Overy Staithe).  A fifth Barn Owl was hunting over Holkham Freshes and either the same or a sixth on the marsh at Burnham Overy.  A Red Kite was also seen on the way up (between Sculthorpe and South Creake) with 2 more at Burnham Overy later.

As I started to walk down towards the dunes there was a brisk NE wind blowing and it felt freezing.  I'd barely left the car park when I flushed a young seal from just below the sea wall.  It headed for the water but its path was obstructed by a boat which it seemed to try to get inside.  The cloud was thick so the light was poor and I didn't get my camera on to a suitable setting quick enough, but you get the idea...

Seal sp., Burnham Overy, 14th March

It soon realised that wasn't a good idea and bounded on down to the water.  It showed a peculiar dark stripe along its side, prompting me to try and recall whether any of the rare species show such a marking.  I don't think they do, but it wasn't obvious to me that it was a Common Seal.  I expect that's what it was, but would appreciate confirmation if you can give it.

Seal sp., Burnham Overy, 14th March

There were about 14 Pochard and 9 Tufted Ducks in the channel - a good number for here, especially as I've not been seeing any here during the winter.  I thought one of the Pochards looked dark and plain-headed but before I could resolve it they all flew.  One bird was clearly smaller than the accompanying Pochards and showed a whiter wing-bar than the Pochards.  They settled in a nearby pool and here I was able to pick out a female Aythya hybrid.  The Pochard influence was obvious but I didn't immediately get the other half.  It looked darker brown almost more Tufted Duck like and my first thought was Pochard x Tufted Duck.  Females of these usually show pale feathering at the base of the bill, though whether that's always the case or not is not yet established I don't think.  It was reminding me a lot of a bird I saw in Cornwall a couple of years ago which I identified as Pochard x Tufted Duck at the time but subsequently wondered if it could have been Pochard x Ferruginous Duck (and this was suggested by others).  Unlike that bird, this one showed clear white under the tail, and dark in front of that.  Although ferruginous tones were not obvious it did show some reddish tones on the head, especially around the lores.  And at times I could see Ferruginous Duck in the head shape too, so in the end I became pretty confident that this bird was a Pochard x Ferruginous Duck hybrid.  An excellent record for a site that doesn't get big numbers of Aythya, although I suspect a few more people would have shown an interest if it had just been a Ferruginous Duck.

 Pochard x Ferruginous Duck hybrid, Burnham Overy, 14th March

The rest of the walk to the dunes was cold but uneventful, save for 15 Avocets in the channel.  When I reached the dunes two raptors got up just beyond the boardwalk.  One was a Marsh Harrier but the other was the Rough-legged Buzzard and that provided me with some great views.

A pair of Red-breasted Mergansers were between Scolt Head and Gun Hill and a Peregrine flew along the beach.  As I walked back towards the boardwalk from Gun Hill I was pleased to see a stunning male Wheatear - my first 'proper' migrant this year.  The scoter flock off the east end of the dunes contained at least 1 Velvet Scoter, and a couple of Eider there too.  I heard a Stonechat calling a couple of times but never saw it.  As I headed back to the car a fine adult Mediterranean Gull in full breeding plumage was resting with Black-headed Gulls on the sandbar before they all took to flight.

 

Mediterranean Gull, Burnham Overy, 14th March

Near the car park another seal was beached - this one a more obvious Common Seal.

Common Seal, Burnham Overy, 14th March

I headed over to Stiffkey next starting at the flood south of the A149.  Not much there apart from 13 Avocets.

Avocet, Stiffkey Flood, 14th March

Marsh Harrier, Stiffkey Flood, 14th March

Stiffkey Fen was the driest I've seen it - looks like it's been drained.  Another 22 Avocets there and a Kingfisher heard along the stream.  Does anyone know if there is or is expected to be any public access to the new hide on the fen's south side?

Grey Partridges, south of Wells, 14th March

Also processed photos from last week's lunch breaks this evening.  Best was this Black-tailed Godwit...

Black-tailed Godwit, Brancaster Staithe, 11th March