Tuesday 11 March 2008

She got legs (to the tune of ZZ Top)

Went up to Kildale this afternoon to have a shufty at the Rough-legged Buzzard. It was cold, very cold. Found the chevrons on my way back from Commondale - note you can only see em coming the otherway. Met another birder (a guy i'd met at the Brown Fly twitch). Discussed the bird and he said it favoured the ridge NNW of the viewing point. After a few minutes he spotted a Peregrine working the ridge. 3 other birders then pitched up. After 15 minutes or so with the Peregrine making occasional forays onto the skyline a bigger bird came up. I called it and quickly everybody got onto it. It dropped this side of the ridge and banked showing its white rump and pale underwings. Rough-leg. A Yorks tick for me. It came into a couple of hundred yards eventually and was attacked by a Stoat at one stage whenit attempted to alight. A very sandy bird it hoverred like a giant Kes. I lost it and then pulled it out up against the escarpment being mobbed by a gull. Saw the white rump when it turned but it seemed small and was in silhouette in the sky at about 1 miles distance. Then someone else picked he roughleg in close. I had a Hen Harrier-whoops! Velly nice though. A few Red Grouse flushed and Lapwing and Curlew displayed. The Buzzard continued to show extremely well moving to the valley NW of the viewpoint. By this time I was Frozen so home I headed, pleased to note another Yorkshire tick.

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