Scan the skies

Marsh Harrier passing by; very welcome at GLE this morning. 

Marsh Harrier and other observations...

Yesterday, I found my first Bedfordshire MR since 17 September 2008; the last one was during a crazy ten day period when I found four locally. Was that really six-and-a-half years ago?

Blog photo of the year so far for me is Matt's, which lends itself perfectly to a caption competition - Upper Caldecote 'Red' holding Rhode Island Red. Apologies for combining politics with domestic fowl...I guess you could call it 'poulitics.'

This year looks like being a straight fight between AGr and RIB. They really are the Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg of the 2015 self-finding circuit. I am more of a 2015 incarnation of Daniel Ricciardo - very quick over one lap, but ultimately disappointing over the race distance.

AGr has some serious blockers on his list, and RIB is bound to find three or four scarce species at Meadow Lane. But my money is on MB finding a rare wader at Broom - Black-winged Stilt? Also, MJP to find a Sabine's Gull at Stewartby.

Digressing, Sabine should be pronounced Say-BIN, not Say-BINE, as it was named for Sir Edward Sabine, not the Sabine Hills near Rome nor the (in)famous painting by Rubens. I for one had been pronouncing it incorrectly for years.

Atb,

DOM

MR and PT

Scored a couple more with SCB this lunchtime. A f Marsh Harrier over Broom and an eclipse drake pintail at GLE. Steve trying here to phonescope a flying raptor...

Bike ticking a Marsh Harrier

To continue the theme of virtuous harrier ticking, I saw this fine female Marsh Harrier while I cycled to work near Little Barford this morning.