October continues to deliver...

The number of small birds on site has been increasing rapidly over the last few weeks with the arrival of many Meadow Pipits, Linnets and Skylarks.  This must all be enticing to birds of prey and indeed a Sparrowhawk has been regularly seen harrying the flocks along with up to 3 Kestrels.

A particularly large 'dump' of small birds - including a 300+ strong flock of Linnets - seemed to occur on 12th with misty, damp conditions during the first part of the morning.  I stationed myself on the track and, as I have done many times before, imagined a Hen Harrier skirting the back edge of the big field before hunting over the main pit weedy margins.

The raucous cries and caws of Rooks and Carrion Crows startled me from my day-dreams and I put my binoculars to my eyes and...picked up a ringtail Hen Harrier, making its way along the back edge of the large field!  It then began to hunt over the weedy area at the back of the main pit before dropping down into ground cover.  I couldn't quite believe it!

I took some very distant and somewhat shakey record shots and video to confirm that it was indeed a Hen Harrier and not a rarer form.  Unfortunately the corvid ranks were not as delighted as I was and rallied to drive the poor harrier up high and away offsite heading southeast.  I assumed that was the last we'd see of it but a message came in later on that the neighbouring farmer had seen it over his fields in the afternoon.

Others re-located it in the rough fields adjacent to Cromer Hyde Farm that had previously hosted 4 Short-eared Owls.  Unfortunately the mobbing continued and the harrier was last seen heading south just before sunset.  The harrier takes the site year list to 130 and is the first record at the site since one on 24th October 2022.

A photo (cropped by me) that beautifully captures the moment taken by Louisa Veasey as the harrier left the site on Sunday evening.

The same day also saw 3 Rock Pipits at the edge of the main pit.  Two flew off high while one remained, being seen the next day too.

Two of the three Rock Pipits on site on 12th Oct

With the continuing abundance of potential prey items at the site it was perhaps no surprise that the next day saw another bird of prey visit - a Merlin (#131 for the site year).  Rather obligingly it perched up just 50 yards away on the new fence along the track.  The video below records some of my best views of the species ever - likely to be a juvenile bird.

The presence of so many flocks of small birds on site has brought an air of excitement to the recent visits, spiced up by the activities of these scarce raptors.  With the first flocks of Redwings and Fieldfares arriving in the county this state of affairs will hopefully continue for the next few weeks.  Autumn is in full swing but worthy of note also was a late Sand Martin on 6th October.