Raptor Fest On The Humber

As regular followers of this blog will be aware I have been fixated with photographing raptors on the Humber this winter.

Saturday was no exception and what a great day it turned out to be.

Arriving at day break I was pleased to see I was the only one there. I hurredly made my way to my preferred vantage point and settled down for a days viewing and photography.

A barn owl hunting distantly followed by a distsnt marsh harrier got things going. A buzzard flew purposefully directly overhead and veered off dramatically as it realised I was only a matter of metres below it.

Before long, the prize subject appeared- a hen harrier studiously viewing the ground below it for any signs of life. Distant at first It slowly came closer only to startle another raptor-a peregrine falcon. I cant work out what was most surprisded, me or the harrier. The peregrine made a bee-line for the Humber , not before passing close overhead in soft morning light.

The hen harrier was joined by a second and they both stayed tantalisingly distant.

Out of the corner of my eye a fox caught my attention, it was mostly obscured by undergrowth but was doing a few of its trademark pounces-no doubt in search of a vole for breakfast. The alarm call of the small birds alerted one of the hen harriers and it steamed accross out of nowhere. The fox however was not impressed with its efforts to mob it and casually strolled off into the field.

The next interesting bird was a merlin. One had flown inland and no doubt it was the same bird returning-I saw it quite late but still managed a few flight shots and always great to see this small and compact falcon.

As the day went on a couple of marsh harriers appeared in the distance but never came close.

Around mid-day a buzzard took to the skies hovering repeatedly but never seemed to catch anything whilst I was watching it.

There were a couple of interesting exchanges with one of the hen harriers, a shame they were a long way off but nice to see them sparring with each other with a show of sharp talons and bills, it was more like handbags at 12 paces with neither keen to inflict and real damage.

The afternoon was more of the same, sun was still shining, a couple of kestrels came close and a couple of close fly-bys from the hen harriers.

I wandered back to the car for around 3pm with the hope of having the last hour on the short eared owls but only one showed and it remained distant sat on a fence post.

The day ended with a magnificent sun set and one of the hen harriers sat on the roadside.

Well there you have it, 7 species of raptor, 2 species of owl and flocks of waders and pink-footed geese, making the most perfect winter spectacle. One of those natural experiences you just cant get tired of.

Humber Hen Harriers

I’ve spent most of my photography time this winter down on the Humber bank focussing mainly on hen harriers with the odd hour or two on the short-eared owls. The abundance of voles as well as some pristine habitat has created dream conditions for the birds and wildlife watchers alike.

Just recently the area was featured on bbc news a link to the article is here

There is no doubt that the sight of a hunting hen harrier in bright sunlight is an exhilarating sight, all of a sudden they will twist and turn in mid flight then disappear into the scrub only to re-appear seconds later (or stay down if they’ve caught something).

What I cant understand is why these magnificent birds are the most persecuted birds of prey in the UK. OK yes I can anyone with the slightest interest in raptor persecution will know that gamekeepers on UK grouse moors account for more illegal killing of hen harriers than any other cause.

Why is this? Well hen harriers breed on the uplands and the adult birds prey on grouse to feed their young. In any civil society this natural occurrence would be allowed to happen just as mother nature intended.

But not in the greed filled killing fields of the UK uplands. Anything seen as a threat to grouse is mercilessly butchered in the name of saving the grouse.

But why are grouse so important? Well it just so happens that very rich people are prepared to spend a large amount of money to shoot grouse. Landowners are prepared to do what it takes to protect and enhance their grouse stock all to the detriment of the wildlife that inhabit the moor.

If killing wildlife wasn’t enough, the moors are systematically burnt to promote the growth of heather-the food of the grouse. So an artificial landscape is created and it effectively becomes a desert where only grouse and heather survive.

Getting back to hen harriers, in 2023 at least 24 hen harriers were killed by human intervention. These are only the known cases, no doubt there will be more, and these figures only include hen harriers.

Don’t forget all of the buzzards, kites and anything else percieved as a threat to grouse.

The birds are apparently protected by the law, however it is a) very difficult to prosecute individuals and when prosecution is successful, the sentences handed out are so weak they can hardly be described as a deterrent.

There are numerous organisations doing a great job in promoting awareness including The RSPB and Raptor Persecution. Chris Packham is a great advocate and Wild Justice is an organisation set up to challenge The Government in the courts about issues on wildlife protection which includes hen harrier persecution.

Some big organisations are listening. Scottish Water banned grouse shooting on its land earler this year and The National trust banned grouse shooting on 1600 acres of its land in The Peak District.

What gets my goat the most, is there perception by people with far more money than me, that they can systematically kill our wildlife, therefor depriving us, of some of natures natural wonders. UK wildlife belongs to no-one and everyone, it is there for all to enjoy.

The law and its penalties offer no deterrent and because the killing is relentless, it is unfit for purpose.

There will be no-one happier than me when the day that driven grouse shooting on British Moorland is rightfully consigned to the dustbin, never ever to be re-opened.

Humber Bank Revisited

I had a very narrow window of opportunity yesterday, narrow for 2 reasons. One, the forecast was for sunny spells up until lunchtime and two, I had to take my mum to the eye hospital in the afternoon.

I got to my chosen spot pretty early and the first thing I saw was a buzzard then a barn owl with a vole-signs were good!

I got myself set up and waited, firstly a sparrowhawk flew accross apparently oblivious to my presence.

Then a distant marsh harrier quickly followed by a merlin-the raptor count was increasing rapidly!

I thought that given the deluge of rain the day before, the birds would be keen to feed up, however despite getting off to a good start, things were quite often quiet for long periods.

A couple of kestrels were out feeding and had the odd tussle with the buzzard.

the sparrowhawk shot back even closer giving a nice opportunity for a flight shot.

Eventually the hen harriers began hunting. Mostly distant but they came closer on a couple of occasions.

A great white egret flew out towards the Humber and there was a few stonechats still surviving.

A solitary short-eared owl made an all to brief appearance before it was time to go.

The trip to hospital didn’t go without a highlight-9 waxwings feeding on rowans on the approach road as I was stuck in traffic-not a bad day all-in-all.

Until next time.