The weather was miserable today but held some promise so I stuck it out for much of the day. What I clapped eyes on just before 10.00am, though, was certainly not the sort of thing that I was expecting. A male Hen Harrier! The bird afforded good views for a few minutes as it circled the farm, drifted west then took a more southerly leave. It sure was a stunning experience watching this impressive raptor passing over. This is my third bird at the patch, and my remarkably my second this year, following a ringtail earlier this month.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhps0KY2sesZlgV_XoOy9dZuXDepvf6taTU35arKHFoA6WLsAO_wxIxcqAFetiXeqDnUS9p5TopQnHQ1bGskwaV_TrPTj-mI6fH3w8ugaGJZUu5ol53goijkHiqk3iKxS_k8IBCUE1BRKTW/s640/Hen+Harrier+28052013+2.jpg) |
male Hen Harrier |
While I'm at it, here's a few recent images that I've finally got round to getting off the camera...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsORF-hXTl2PtaeRJZ2KqvV7ZfzT1iZaEnoy1TP4MTWUETpwDc5utqO3d7wW7ZARshvQKIEPsm8Z65dGR8vI8b6kK3Y3ySAm5tU2XZqPElORGuHGl6TIYF65qYzo54dtt6IkXoucI3MamF/s640/Red+Kite+26052013+1.jpg) |
Red Kite at Banstead Woods on Sunday evening |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaP9Yo_iqQcO3ppqyNU3iZL0ge5X3-SCeurizB6IrNwbt0k4bxx2mFvgwGXfpDdXl0zF2Vq5bxudulo9p9OHsZLWlfCk-gJhi_cBmahPuv_w53Q2mvPUG_V1zFpFLAJ28Y98VwIizJ6VoO/s640/Common+Buzzard+25052013+1.jpg) |
Common Buzzard with Carrion Crow at Canons Farm on Saturday |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAAYkpGGY8kiqO5S3_wKss0YRQ0J4CzQFcYNO0uHjXZLDBL7z1cIqJRkSJmIXX4zeYtmJAeoWuBqf8QfIGhyphenhyphenPv9netbv5Jn7tD5K6ieXvli24oZRxElVQvk6Xsj-H5n9Nn-SRrdfM3-xYR/s640/Garden+Warbler+13052013+1.jpg) |
Garden Warbler at Banstead Woods on May 13th |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3-c4L0-rGq4AG1Pe_wpsTnaLISuPOi40HczdDjgwxmFTWkdlJ65uG1gYqb0b9zJX8I9dYz_Q3dXQ-Tj0w42UNTnJXikxiflkLUDYGQDEz-0_LkTIhINhkK8Wmze4dFjRs440iBf5EDB0R/s640/Song+Thrushes+11052013+3.jpg) |
Song Thrushes on Reads Rest Lane on May 11th |