I Wonder How the Marsh Harriers are Doing?

23rd February 2022

It is a bit early in the season but I thought I would go and see whether the harriers were on territory and likely to breed again this year. As I arrived the female left the site and went on a hunting foray, so time to just sit down and wait for her return in an hour or so.

The lake remained quiet until a flock of about 20 Greylag Geese flew in, but still no Teal or Shoveler as you would normally expect.

In the adjacent reed bed a couple of dark form Fallow Deer broke cover and traversed a gap in the reeds allowing me my first shots of this species at this site. I have caught glimpses of them several times, but the first time in the open with my camera in my hand.

This shot shows the black tail lying over the white bottom which identifies it as a Fallow Deer.

I'm not sure why the deer thought it necessary to jump into the reed bed but perhaps there is a hidden fence.

Not long after a Fox leapt out of the reed bed and ran for its life along the bank of the lake, and there was absolutely no indication why it should be scared as there is no hunting here.

At first I thought this was the female returning but it was just one of the local Buzzards, but then shortly after the female did return, presumably full of prey, and disappeared into roost behind a fairly substantial Sallow.

So, no sign of the male yet but still plenty of time, and I will keep an eye on proceedings.