Saw my first pair of Hen Harriers this morning

Normally see them when out and about, but watched them for quite a while this morning as they were flying over the adjacent fields, managed a few grainy photos of both male and female, but better than none.:)

I'd give a lot to have taken such 'grainy photos', Rolf!

I think they're great - especially the pics of the male - a really handsome bird!:)

Thanks Catherine, pleased to have got them on camera.:) The male actually looks more striking in real liife, as you can see the stark black tips of the wings from a long way off, beautiful birds, in France they are called Busard Saint-Martin.

After getting absolutely soaked this morning taking Darcy out for a route march, popped out after lunch when the rain had stopped and saw the female of the Hen Harrier pair out quartering the fields, the last photos show her with a twig in her beak.:)

Fantastic sequence, Rolf!

That white rump shows up in every shot from behind her, despite the light!

Would she just have been adding to her nest? Sure it would have been already built?

I've seen male Hen Harriers three times - each time at the side of the M6, between junctions 10 and 16 I think! Each time he was perched on a tree, looking around him, the lovely pale, - almost dove-like - grey of its body contrasting beautifully with the black of its wing tips.

Saw them both together yesterday afternoon and wondering whether their nest site is nearby, managed to get a picture of them flying off.

Great - catching them both in one pic! Well caprtured, Rolf!:)

Wow, a great set of shots which cover colour,pattern and shape. That was a fantastic bit of luck to be able to see a pair, but of course it does help that there is a lot of open space there, you get a chance to see them when they do fly over.

I love the way that the female seems to have a bandage around the base of the tail :)