26th June : Montagu's Harrier.
After hearing that a Montagu's Harrier had been seen yesterday near Ivinghoe & never having seen one before. I decided to continue my Churchyard Wildlife tour in that area with Stewart, checking possible fields for the Harrier as we went. First stop was Pitstone Church, followed by Pitstone Hill from where it's kind of possible to see down in the pea field from where it had been hunting....but no luck, did chance upon a pair of Whitethroats collecting food for their young.
Next stop the field behind Ivinghoe Windmill... no luck. Onto Ivinghoe Church, pleased to find Swallows have bred here.
Onto Cheddington Church, some thing a bit different here as a Cormorant went over.
Knowing there was a large Wheat field nearby, thought this would be the ideal place to stop for a lunch break & keep an eye out for the Harrier at the same time. We parked up at 1-30pm in the gateway with a view straight down the track to the distant hedgerow. At 1-55pm I glanced down the track, caught a glimpse of a brown bird with a white rump being buffeted by the wind, shouted to Stewart who was sat outside the car, "Harrier, Camera, I'm not moving" but in the commotion it was lost to view. Shaking I quickly rang Mike & Graham who put the word out, within five minutes Mike Campbell turned up, followed by Lee Evans & others. What followed was a waiting game as we were entertained by a pair of Yellow Wagtails that were nesting in the Wheat nearby, a Corn Bunting 'jangled' from the over head wires, Skylarks sang as a Hare frolicked along the track, 'til at 2-37pm the Female Montagu's Harrier reappeared as it quartered either side of the distant hedgerow, remaining in view until 3-20pm when it made it's way across the field towards us, over Cheddington Road & Westend Hill & was gone.
Images : Copyright © Don Stone.
