Missing Monty

Another trip to Norfolk in search of Montagu's Harrier and another trip home without seeing any despite scoping some very promising habitat.

We did encounter a nice Barn Owl on the way up and a stop at Titchwell was good without any really noteable birds.

Barn Owl

Shame about the gloomy light

Lot's of Ruff, Avocet, Black & Barwits along with the usual waders. Three Spoonbill sat out on freshmarsh and we picked out a couple of Little Gulls and a few Med Gulls in the roost. On the sea a couple of Arctic Skua came close and both Little and Sandwich Terns hunted the shore line.

Despite some useful information on the Norfolk Monty's we found only Buzzard and Marsh Harrier although one particular Buzzard was almost entirely white.

Avocet at Titchwell

Ruff

Another Fox in the rain 

Reed Bunting at Titchwell

No ticks but a nice days birding all the same.

PS: So it now transpires that a single pair of Montagu's Harrier had nested in Norfolk this year (one of just a handful to breed in Britain in 2017) Sadly I had waited until the time when the young would be flying to go in search of any to save any disturbance to the nest site. The info I had gathered was totally wrong and my search sites were well off track from the actual site and the birds fledged three young to add to last years two but then tragedy struck when the female went missing losing her radio signal around the start of the glorious 12th when posh folk entertain themselves by blasting birds out of the sky.