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04-12-2007, 07:59 PM
|  | Wild Member | | Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: South Coast Hampshire
Posts: 241
| | | 5 no. Hen Harriers
Whilst out Saturday photographing deer on the New Forest I was walking between woods across a heath in 20mph gusty S.W. wind, when I first saw a Harrier above me then turned and saw another one, then another and another eventually FIVE in all using the wind and angling their wings and bodies to accelerate to great speeds then just hold station with no wing beats at all. 
They were low enough that I could see their heads swiveling from side to side.Their wing colours from below appeared white and black but a gorgeous golden brown on top as were some of their bodys with some striking white patches around their throats and just before the tail, but some of their bodies were a very light colour to the whole underside, some were pale grey. They swooped twisted and turned and covered great distances in a short space of time. Then as quick as they arrived they were back over from the direction they came and then completly dissapered. 
My camera was set up for any any long distance deer i might had encounterd with a 300 lens with a 2x converter on so I knew that I would probably be waisting my time shooting but even if only one was in focus it would have been my first harrier capture so I kept going. 
Although none of these shots are realy passable it may help to see wing, body and tail shapes, in, as I said, a quite strong wind and may help the mystery of Jason Greens BOP. 
My question is, is it unusual to see 5 of these stunning birds in the air at the same time ?
Regards
Rob
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04-12-2007, 08:01 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 3,135
| | | Re: 5 no. Hen Harriers
Arnt they photos of buzzards not hen harriers 
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04-12-2007, 08:04 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: South Oxfordshire
Posts: 1,379
| | | Re: 5 no. Hen Harriers
They all look like Buzzards to me. 
Paul
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04-12-2007, 08:26 PM
| | Wild Member | | Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: South Coast Hampshire
Posts: 241
| | | Re: 5 no. Hen Harriers
I may be wrong. . . but these birds were much smaller and moved much quicker than the buzzards normal flight , they kept losing and gaining height whilst traveling and their wings didnt seem broad enough. I have seen buzzards over this particular area and the numbers (5) would seem buzzard like but I think these birds were too small.
Rob
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Anything that can eat brambles has my full respect. |
04-12-2007, 08:28 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 3,135
| | | Re: 5 no. Hen Harriers
Definately look like buzzards and the numbers are good, especially the second and third photo's down thay are a buzzard's same markings face and wings. The top picture has a smaller bird (maybe something else) with what looks like a buzzard.
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Teaching a child not to step on a caterpillar is as vital to the child as it is to the caterpillar! |
04-12-2007, 08:38 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Little village called Chedworth
Posts: 4,782
| | | Re: 5 no. Hen Harriers
buzzards 3rd picture is the clearest.
doesn't have the markings around the face/neck that a harrier has...... |
04-12-2007, 08:39 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: New Milton, Hampshire
Posts: 3,253
| | | Re: 5 no. Hen Harriers
Hi Rob,
They're Buzzards mate. In Hen Harriers the wings & tail are longer & thinner. Harriers don't tend to soar when they're down here for the winter, instead they quarter the ground. Iv'e only once seen a Hen Harrier display high up in the air over the Forest.
Usually I see single birds over the heaths, except in the evening when I go to the north of the Forest to watch them come in to roost. Then you can see 4 or 5 in the air at once while they quarter the ground before they drop down into the heather to roost. |
04-12-2007, 08:39 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Little village called Chedworth
Posts: 4,782
| | | Re: 5 no. Hen Harriers
buzzards 3rd picture is the clearest.
doesn't have the markings around the face/neck that a harrier has and its beak seems heavier ...... |
04-12-2007, 09:10 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Lancashire
Posts: 1,346
| | | Re: 5 no. Hen Harriers
A cluster of Buzzards I'd say.
Regards, Chris |
04-12-2007, 09:22 PM
| | Wild Member | | Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: South Coast Hampshire
Posts: 241
| |  Re: 5 no. Hen Harriers
Ah . . . um . . . OK . . . Gentlemen Do except my apologies I have blessed this thread with an undeserved title, I have several previous photos of Buzzards but convinced myself these were too small and agile but Im not going to argue, so thank you for your time.
Im off to buy another bird book and spend the next week in the naughty corner with a brown paper bag over my head.
Regards
Rob
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Anything that can eat brambles has my full respect. |
04-12-2007, 09:30 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: New Milton, Hampshire
Posts: 3,253
| | | Re: 5 no. Hen Harriers
Don't worry about it Rob, its nothing to be embarassed about.
Its a good thing, as it helps us learn. |
04-12-2007, 09:51 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Grimsby, Lincs
Posts: 1,570
| | | Re: 5 no. Hen Harriers
100% Buzzards, but great to see a group together |
04-12-2007, 09:53 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: South Oxfordshire
Posts: 1,379
| | | Re: 5 no. Hen Harriers
Quote:
Originally Posted by Deer Stalker  Don't worry about it Rob, its nothing to be embarassed about.
Its a good thing, as it helps us learn. | Precisely that. We all learn something new everyday. Thats what is good about WAB amongst other things.
Paul
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05-12-2007, 11:43 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,350
| | | Re: 5 no. Hen Harriers
Ok, so we're both waiting to see hen harriers! |
06-12-2007, 03:38 PM
| | Wild Member | | Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: South Coast Hampshire
Posts: 241
| | | Re: 5 no. Hen Harriers
I wont be able to see much at all with this bag over my head 
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Anything that can eat brambles has my full respect. |
06-12-2007, 03:48 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Lancashire.
Posts: 1,016
| | | Re: 5 no. Hen Harriers
You are certainly a card Rob, I am sat here chuckling away. 
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06-12-2007, 04:29 PM
|  | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Grantham, Lincolnshire
Posts: 805
| | | Re: 5 no. Hen Harriers
Nice to see so many Buzzards. I've certainly seen more this year in lincolnshire.
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07-12-2007, 03:56 PM
|  | Active Member | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Northern Ireland
Posts: 51
| | | Re: 5 no. Hen Harriers
At least I'm not on my own then - I remember identifying a cuckoo as a male merlin, and got my friend to come 10 mile to watch it. I was convincing him pretty well with the plummage and when we heard 'cuckoo, cuckoo' I even suggested there must be a Cuckoo in the area. When we realised that my 'merlin' wasn't a merlin at all, I felt absolutely rotten....
Unfortunately that wasn't my only wrong identification with others present 
It makes me ill even thinking of some of them!
Zek. |
07-12-2007, 04:57 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,350
| | | Re: 5 no. Hen Harriers
I once identified a Goldcrest as a Firecrest and told several others of it...
I have identified a blue-tailed damselfly as a scarce blue-tailed... |
07-12-2007, 05:58 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 4,618
| |  Re: 5 no. Hen Harriers
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason Green I once identified a Goldcrest as a Firecrest and told several others of it...
I have identified a blue-tailed damselfly as a scarce blue-tailed... | Don't worry every one makes mistakes- even the most experienced naturalists! |
07-12-2007, 06:52 PM
| | Active Member | | Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 73
| | | Re: 5 no. Hen Harriers
Pah...who needs to see more hen harriers anyway? Give me a buzzard (or 5) any day!!  | | |
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