Hen Harrier

[Delboy]

Just drove over the campsie hills and saw a hen harrier skimming the marshland. .I stood and watched it for about 5 minutes. What a cracking looking bird and my first time seeing one up close.

[Guest stb-]

Just drove over the campsie hills and saw a hen harrier skimming the marshland. .I stood and watched it for about 5 minutes. What a cracking looking bird and my first time seeing one up close.

 

wee joe had one up at his on the moss at the back of the railway , fekin slaughtered him for a few years , used to come up out the reeds and grab one of his doos passing when flying round the loft

[tiger]

wee joe had one up at his on the moss at the back of the railway , fekin slaughtered him for a few years , used to come up out the reeds and grab one of his doos passing when flying round the loft

surprised at that they very slow

[R.A.M.C.63]

surprised at that they very slow

 

seen one hunting local here didn,t look fast enough too chase doo,s but noticed when hunting

it could turn on a Sixpence, so think if birds were on ground it would have no problem.

but as Delboy says Fantastic looking Bird,

[Guest stb-]

seen one hunting local here didn,t look fast enough too chase doo,s but noticed when hunting

it could turn on a Sixpence, so think if birds were on ground it would have no problem.

but as Delboy says Fantastic looking Bird,

 

i can assure you that one took plenty of his doos especially his young ones .

[Delboy]

wee joe had one up at his on the moss at the back of the railway , fekin slaughtered him for a few years , used to come up out the reeds and grab one of his doos passing when flying round the loft

 

Think I heard something about that before Rab.

[Guest stb-]

Think I heard something about that before Rab.

i he kept saying it was a percy to start with comming out the reeds and grabbing a doo then going to ground but turned out it was a harrier

[Guest chad3646]

cant see it being a hen harrier they mostly kill birds like the meadow pipit or young grouse the male is grey with black wing tips female is brown

[R.A.M.C.63]

i can assure you that one took plenty of his doos especially his young ones .

 

Sorry Rab i ment chase,n at speed for long, but could easy see it suprize,n birds on ground,

every time i,ve seen it been no more than 20 feet off ground, it was going up an down think it was following a Rabbit thru wyn bushes, think it was male Chad, lik a smoky grey colour,

[R.A.M.C.63]

Just drove over the campsie hills and saw a hen harrier skimming the marshland. .I stood and watched it for about 5 minutes. What a cracking looking bird and my first time seeing one up close.

 

hi Delboy just read ur post again, wonder if u saw marsh harrier, maybe Chad might know bit more on the difference, either way cracking birds,

[Guest stb-]

Sorry Rab i ment chase,n at speed for long, but could easy see it suprize,n birds on ground,

every time i,ve seen it been no more than 20 feet off ground, it was going up an down think it was following a Rabbit thru wyn bushes, think it was male Chad, lik a smoky grey colour,

it didnt really chase them more sort of ambushed they just flew up and grabbed one when they were banking down round the loft , dont think they would catch many on a chase though as they only have an initial quick burst and surprise is more there tactic

Edited August 26, 2013 by stb-

[Guest chad3646]

i think the bird you saw r a m c was probably a goshawk especially if it was after rabbits

[Guest stb-]

i think the bird you saw r a m c was probably a goshawk especially if it was after rabbits

now there is the ultimate killing machine nae point in yer doos oing into the bushes way them around

[Guest chad3646]

i would like to add a reply about my own statement of the hen harrier maybe it is killing pigeons now because look at the sparrow hawk hence its name killer of the sparrows and what is it killing now

[Guest stb-]

i would like to add a reply about my own statement of the hen harrier maybe it is killing pigeons now because look at the sparrow hawk hence its name killer of the sparrows and what is it killing now

all try to survive when the smaller prey dissapears ie skylarks meadow pipitts etc bigger prey is there only option .birds adapt to survive.

 

Also know of a kesteral following a pigeon into a loft and killing it on the floor , theres always the exception to the rule and hunger makes the change

[R.A.M.C.63]

i think the bird you saw r a m c was probably a goshawk especially if it was after rabbits

 

no chance Chad know the Gos, i guessed it was after rabbits due to speed it was chase,n but i couldn,t see what was because of wyn bushes, and lot rabbits in that area, this was light grey bulky,r bird, than a long slender goshawk,

[Guest chad3646]

no chance Chad know the Gos, i guessed it was after rabbits due to speed it was chase,n but i couldn,t see what was because of wyn bushes, and lot rabbits in that area, this was light grey bulky,r bird, than a long slender goshawk,

 

 

the hen harrier is not a bulky bird it is the same sort of build as a black headed seagull

 

and that is not bulky

[Delboy]

cant see it being a hen harrier they mostly kill birds like the meadow pipit or young grouse the male is grey with black wing tips female is brown

 

MUSTVE BEEN MALE AS IT HAD THE BLACK WING TIPS

[R.A.M.C.63]

the hen harrier is not a bulky bird it is the same sort of build as a black headed seagull

 

and that is not bulky

 

hear wat ur say,n Chad, but we don,t get lot hen harriers up this way, so u know when u see something defferent, i say bulky,r to eye, but it had the appearence of being thicker feathered

if that helps, but it is one of bop i,ve not handled close up yet so i could be mistaken from 30yards, but i am convinced it was hen harrier, as i say not many them up here it stuck out lik sore thumb, atb Ronnie

[Guest chad3646]

hear wat ur say,n Chad, but we don,t get lot hen harriers up this way, so u know when u see something defferent, i say bulky,r to eye, but it had the appearence of being thicker feathered

if that helps, but it is one of bop i,ve not handled close up yet so i could be mistaken from 30yards, but i am convinced it was hen harrier, as i say not many them up here it stuck out lik sore thumb, atb Ronnie

 

 

r a m c i actually thought there would be a lot more up your way than there is down here

[R.A.M.C.63]

all try to survive when the smaller prey dissapears ie skylarks meadow pipitts etc bigger prey is there only option .birds adapt to survive.

 

Also know of a kesteral following a pigeon into a loft and killing it on the floor , theres always the exception to the rule and hunger makes the change

 

true Rab, seen program ware Barn Owls were coming out during day to hunt due to weather we been getting, witch was never known befor, so anything possiable.

[R.A.M.C.63]

r a m c i actually thought there would be a lot more up your way than there is down here

 

No Chad, not common up here, but here wat do we know, that was 1st time seen one up here

thats why it instantly caught my attention, strange thing about it was 2 mile along road

( not same day ) seen a Harris hawk dont know if it was escapee or wat, but they not common

flyin wild up here either, think the harrier is more common to english as it always seems to be

down thier when u see on tv, chad wats difference between hen/marsh harrier ?? Ronnie

[Guest chad3646]

No Chad, not common up here, but here wat do we know, that was 1st time seen one up here

thats why it instantly caught my attention, strange thing about it was 2 mile along road

( not same day ) seen a Harris hawk dont know if it was escapee or wat, but they not common

flyin wild up here either, think the harrier is more common to english as it always seems to be

down thier when u see on tv, chad wats difference between hen/marsh harrier ?? Ronnie

 

 

as its name states it hunts on the marshes the cock bird is the same colour as the hen harrier male

[R.A.M.C.63]

Cheers Chad