House Martin 1 (First of the year) Lucky you Pete! But there have been a number of British sightings in recent month from Shetland to Sussex. In 2019, the species also bred in Spain for the first time. Coordinators: Alex Oll, Teresa Montras & Joan Goy Taxonomy: Monotypic Status: Migratory. Previously considered an extreme rarity, it is now an expected annual vagrant that has a habit of appearing in all seasons. . Their scientific name is Circus Macrourus, Circus for the fact that they fly in circles and Macrourus for their noticeably long tails! Your email address will not be published. Pallid harrier by Paul Nobbs A juvenile pallid harrier has been giving great views to visitors on the reserve since the weekend. Have you seen something interesting? Pallid Harrier: evolution of female plumage, Juveniles: Pallid Harrier vs Montagus Harrier, Raptor Identification - The complete raptors guide. (28693256) Rod Ferbrache, a birdwatcher for 25 years, recorded the first pallid harrier seen in Guernsey last year on 9 September. But Martin was constantly shouting out while he was watching the bird that it lacked a dark trailing edge to the wing, and that it had only a small amount of black on the wing tip. 6. They often flee to India, Iran and Africa in the winter to avoid the cold and will travel back to the north in the spring to begin nesting and mating by the summer time. Juveniles are rufous and similar to Montagu's, but appear dark rather than pale faced. Its very unusual to see a design with a single grey stripe. The male usually spends time during incubation finding and bringing food for the female and hatchlings, while the female broods the hatchlings nearly continuously. 9. But the fourth British species, the pallid harrier, is so rare that only a score or so have ever turned up here, wanderers from their breeding grounds on the remote Russian steppes. Great-crested Grebe 2, Willow Warbler 2 Comprehensive life histories for all bird species and families. These birds have an incredibly wide range due to their migration patterns and cover a large area at different times of the year. 2021 A.Al-Sirhan Alenezi. Confirming the sighting of a bird is a bit of detective work and spending time reviewing what you have seen with a digital camera can be a big help. Provisional species count in official eBird totals. Identification of perched Montagus and Pallid harriers. No wonder that, when the RAF needed a name for their most aerobatic aircraft, they called it the Harrier jump jet. PH: the clear collar is wide and neat, clearly outlining the dark cheeks. from the UK . Avocet 2 Many of us are constantly on the look out for rarities when we're out and about birding. From March to May and from August to November. All Rights Reserved. PH: the majority tends to have a thin eyebrow, not really highlighted. Not such amazing views when we managed to find a place to stop and I could point my camera at it, as it had by then drifted way across a field. 2021 Associated Newspapers Limited. SC037654, Accepting all non-essential cookies helps us to personalise your experience, These cookies are required for basic web functions, Allow us to collect anonymised performance data. Amazing close views from the car - it flew right in front of us! But the fourth British species, the pallid harrier, is so rare that only a score or so have ever turned up here, wanderers from their breeding grounds on the remote Russian steppes. We only record sightings within the WVBS study area. With a juvenile Pallid Harrier being spotted yesterday where I was the day before (just my luck) it got me thinking do they breed in this country? on tuesday the 26th of april i was very fortunate to spot the first ever sighting in northern ireland of a pallid harrier (female) this has been confirmed on ni birding, irish birding, and ni birds, I understand this is an old thread, but want to reply anyway, Marsh Harrier? Free, global bird ID and field guide app powered by your sightings and media. If so, I shall remember the moment when I caught sight of one flying over the Mendips, and gave thanks for the adventuring spirit of birds. Sure enough when I looked in the book it was clearly a male Pallid Harrier that we had just been watching. Recentmently, the population of Western Russia has expanded towards Scandinavia, with a small contingent now found in Finland, leading to a new migratory route through Western Europe with wintering grounds in the Iberian peninsula and Morocco. A resource for Birders, Twitchers and casual Bird Watchers. Previously considered a national rarity and thus requiring a submission to the French rarities committee, the rarity tag was removed in 2013 following an upturn in records. MH: the eyebrow is fluctuatingly wide, usually more than in PH, resulting more prominent as a whole. Found in steppes, wet grassland, agricultural areas and other open spaces. 10. Sand Martin 20+ 3. A life tick for both George and Dan, and an exceptional find for all three of us, this would indeed be a moment to remember in all our birding careers. My blog: http://mazzaswildside.blogspot.co.uk/, My Flickr page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/124028194@N04/. I see on Birdguides that it was seen again on Big Moor this morning. Wing: 310-355 mm, 345-390 mm. They're declining in their breeding range (now classed as Near Threatened) so chances of them spreading and colonising W Europe are pretty low. Females are more difficult to separate from other harriers; pay attention to the underwings with their barred primaries and dark secondaries. The pallid harrier breeds in Ukraine and Russia and spends most of the winter in Africa or India, and is a rare visitor to Western Europe. This is a typical harrier, with long wings held in a shallow V in its low flight. To filter/search please enter a phrase. On the way back on the same road we noticed two other males together following the road travelling at about 25 kilometres an hour. Moments later, it had disappeared behind a distant crowd of birders, who I later discovered had enjoyed spectacular views. It also had a small white rump with a faint barred tail. The pale collar is surprisingly obvious in the images (appeared as a wash of white on the rear-crown in the field) and is too broad for Pallid. The female is obsessed with us and not the male. Car Park Wheatear 1 male Chiffchaff 3 Blackcap 1 The Rushy Lesser Scaup 1 House Martin 1 (First of the year) Sand Martin 5 South Lake Swallow 2 Sand Martin 20+ Willow Warbler 1 Black-tailed Godwit 127 Ruiff 2 Redshank 7 Avocet 2 This suggests that these birds are not vagrants, but pioneers, seeking out new places to breed. Escapee: Exotic species known or suspected to be escaped or released, including those that have bred but don't yet fulfill the criteria for Provisional. The feathers of the pallid harrier differ between the sexes as mentioned before. The incubation period is usually around 28 to 30 days and the eggs are incubated exclusively by the female unlike other birds of prey who share the responsibility for incubating and hunting. CLARK W.S., CLARKE R. 1998. Wheatear 1 male Please enter details of your sighting below for our recorder to evaluate. Males typically are white or grey on the upper side and white on the underside of the bodies, with thin black wingtip feathers at the extremity of both their wings.Females are brown on the upper side and have white plumage in their tails beneath the main tail feathers, which is what gives the females the nickname ringtails. Birding World25(2): 68-75. The Bird flew over while we sat looking out of the cafe windows eating cake and drinking coffee,it's a hard game this raptor watching, Birding is for everyone no matter how good or bad we are at it,enjoy it while you can. Aves 50(1): 23-38. Amazing close views from the car - it flew right in front of us! I missed one once by 20 minutes when we were out with other people on a survey & they saw it at our lunch spot before we got there. monitor global seal populations or record large mammal sightings in Gabon. So it wasn't until six days into this bird's stay that I went to look for it. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Pallid harrier. I was beginning to think we were missing out here in Somerset, when one was found just 10 miles north of my home, on the Mendip Hills. Its in these cases when recognition tends to be very complicated, and we have to attend other features such as wing design and structure. All rights reserved. MH: the dark facial disk from the ear tufts is less prominent and isolated, not usually connected to the nape nor the basis of the lower mandible. Vagrants have been spotted in western Europe and Great Britain but these sightings are vanishingly rare although a juvenile did winter successfully in the UK in 2002/03 and a pair of pallid harriers nested in the Netherlands in 2017, raising four chicks successfully, indicating that these birds are incredibly adaptive and can be found across Europe, Asia and parts of Africa. Since the discovery of regular breeding of Pallid Harriers in Finland in 2011, the number of sightings has markedly increased right across Europe. MH: classic birds draw two or three grey stripes at secondary darks, being these thicker alike. Provisional: Either: 1) member of exotic population that is breeding in the wild, self-propagating, and has persisted for multiple years, but not yet Naturalized; 2) rarity of uncertain provenance, with natural vagrancy or captive provenance both considered plausible. The sightings of pallid harrier didn't finish at NADEC. Very unusually, a juv spent the 2015-2016 winter in Norfolk. Status in Kuwait: Common passage migrant and scarce winter visitor. Agree with that Aiki,I've been lucky enough to see two separate birds and both will stick in my mind. The status of Pallid Harrierhas rapidly changed in France in recent years. In one of the most unexpected discoveries of the year, the mother harrier's origins also provided a further fascinating twist in an already remarkable tale. Dutch Birding 7: 41-54. The Pallid harrier is one of the most elegant birds of prey that occasionally visits the Netherlands. PH: the white spot below the eye is always restricted to the length of the eye, forming a concave angle which ends right behind the eye, without connecting or spreading to the eyebrow. This is the first record for Gloucestershire. . The bird also has too much white around the eye socket isolating the ear-covert patch. male pallid harrier following route 90 east to west The nesting habits of this bird are interesting as the nest is often made up of a pile of grass which will be hidden within or under various plants and vegetation, and are often located near or in meadows, scrubland or swampy areas where vegetation is most plentiful. Pallid Harrier by Martin McGill WWT 3rd April 2012. Owen Foley's bank holiday weekend was a memorable one, finding a stunning first for Ireland. Have you seen something interesting? Blackcap 2, Avocet 1 14 Feb 2023. Not especially, however they will defend their eggs and are capable hunters as birds of prey. But Martin was convinced that we had seen a Pallid, wait till you look in a book and see my photos he said. Through my binoculars I could see the long wings and tail, narrow white rump and, best of all, the deep orange shade of its underparts, glowing in the October sunshine. In spring, the main flyway runs through the central part of the Mediterranean while in autumn, the route runs through the East of the Mediterranean region. Birding World 10(7): 267-269. Another has now been seen flying over Lancashire Wildlife Trusts Brockholes Nature Reserve near Preston and is thought to be the first ever seen in the county. From March to May and from August to November. The pallid harrier breeds in Ukraine and Russia and spends most of the winter in. The wing span of adults is roughly similar, coming in at around 40 to 48cm or 16 to 19 inches. The pallid harrier, also known as a Pale, are a migratory bird of prey and a part of the harrier family, which is characterized by their low flying hunting over open ground, their long tails and long wings as well as their slow and graceful flight- which can suddenly turn into a fast dive towards prey and are a specific subcategory of the birds of prey in the wider Accipitridae family. Naturalized: Exotic population is self-sustaining, breeding in the wild, persisting for many years, and not maintained through ongoing releases (including vagrants from Naturalized populations). We have two Dewlap Toulouse geese, male and female. Birder Bill Aspin, who spotted the harrier being chased by four crows, said he was shaking with excitement. https://www.flickr.com/photos/124028194@N04/. MH: Montagus dont usually show this sort of clear patch at the base of outer primaries, but there are birds which might also show it, at least in a subtle way. Galling isn't it! The bird was very pale grey almost white especially under parts with no real contrast on the face. Males are quite similar to the hen harrier but are a little smaller in size, with narrower wings and a paler coloration, as well as slightly different patterns in the wing feathers, however this can be hard to distinguish at distance or while the bird is in flight. Willow Warbler 1 MH: the immense majority tend to display fully dark tips of fingers, and this dark blurs throughout the feather; well hardly ever observe a restricted and abrupt design such as classic PHs. Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus , Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus , Male Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus , Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus, young male , Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus, 1st autumn male. Here in Somerset we regularly see marsh harriers, and during the winter the occasional hen harrier drops in too. Since the discovery of regular breeding Pallid Harriers in Finland in 2011, the number of sightings of the species migrating through Spain has markedly increased. This Europe-wide change in Pallid Harrier's status has been reflected in Britain, where a rapid upturn in records has been noticeable over the past 5-10 years. It is now considered a rare migrant, with around 100 individuals seen in an average year, although there is strong inter-annual variation and the species is susceptible to large spring influxes. JavaScript is disabled. 25 years after the MMR vaccine autism fraud, we're still dealing with the consequences, Parents jailed for manslaughter of daughter left to die in bedroom 'unfit for any animal', Stop blindly believing or dismissing the Covid lab-leak theory - focus on the evidence, Remains of baby found in wooded area after search for Constance Marten and Mark Gordon's child, Oxford and Cambridge ban ChatGPT over plagiarism fears but other universities embrace AI bot, Waspi legal action over state pension age 'a waste', says expert as it continues to raise cash, UK could mass vaccinate chickens to prevent bird flu spreading between humans, The Witch Trials of JK Rowling makes sensible points. Illustration: George Boorujy. Wing:310-355 mm,345-390 mm. The first case of the speciesbreeding in western Europe was noted as recently as 2017, when a pair raised four chicks in The Netherlands. However, in the three years that I'm a birder I had never seen one. A range of issues affect the pallid harrier, particularly the decline of boglands and heaths where the birds prefer to summer and nest, as well as a decline in wide, open plains across much of Europe due to farming and other development activities. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. In flight, a bit bulkier than Montagu's but much more buoyant than Hen Harrier. We do get the odd one that hangs around a while, but otherwise it's a matter of luck as to whether you see one, here one minute & gone the next!! The pair nested in Marne departement, to the east of Paris, and fledged four young. Click Submit to share your rare bird sightings via our simple form. 2. Required fields are marked *. The best of the sightings were single Black-tailed Godwits (a wading bird) on the 1st and 22nd, an immature Marsh Harrier on the 8th and a pair of Common Scoter (a sea duck) on the 22nd with the female still present the following day. All images are Copywritted 2023. Four juvenilePallid Harriersfledged from a nest on agricultural land in Pas-de-Calais, northern France, in July 2020(Mark Leitch). Close ); after big decline during 1970-1990, when up to 30% of individuals lost (especially from main population, in European Russia), numbers continued to fall in following decade up to 2000, and general trends of loss exceeded 30% . Wonderful winter's birding in the East Midlands yesterday. You are using an out of date browser. Shoveler 20 It is easy to distinguish between male and female harriers, as detailed above in the appearance section, they have vastly different plumage and this coupled with their noticeable size difference makes it very easy to determine which bird is male and which is female which is great for spotting pairs and keeping track of nesting and mating behavior. International Action Plan for the Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus). FORSMAN, D. & ERTERIUS, D. 2012. To make things trickier, I had my three young children in tow. Found in steppes, wet . I then put out news that we had just seen a Hen Harrier. Water Rail 2 It prefers pivot grassy fields habitat such as Sulaibiya Pivot Fileds, and United Poultry Pivot Fields where it is common in winter. Even though, there are some individuals, especially females, with wide dark stripes identical to PH. species 213. The first case of the species breeding in western Europe was noted as recently as 2017, when a pair raised four chicks in The Netherlands. Coordinators: Alex Oll, Teresa Montras & Joan Goy. Bulletin British Ornithologists Club 118:52-54. PH: the secondary darks have a distinctive design in most birds, with one or two complete clearer stripes, even grey, being the outer one a bit wider. In this guide were going to highlight some of the key information you need to know about these birds, and well be touching on everything from their appearance to their hunting behavior, mating, nesting, as well as their diet, habitat, migration routes, lifespan, natural predators and their conservation status to make sure you have everything you need to know and can spot them as soon as you have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of these amazing birds.Lets get started with their appearance so you know exactly what to look for when youre out spotting. I personally have only seen Pallid Harrier once before, last autumn in La Janda in Cadiz province, and it was a second year male so there was no debate about it. Oystercatcher 4 Aberdeenshire, Scotland 18.6.22. On the way home, clutching celebratory ice-creams, the children quizzed me about what made this particular creature so special. I was just happy that I had seen this rare wanderer at all. Occasionally,pallid harrier has breed in countries of central and southern Europe, hybrydizing with other harrier species, especially hen harrier. And then it flew past. Theres a Robin in our garden that only flies around very low and doesnt really fly off, in fact appears to prefer hopping around secretively amongst larger plants, which makes a sort of wheezing, panting A fantail pigeon is sitting on my fence. , the number of British sightings in Gabon occasionally visits the Netherlands sexes as mentioned.! 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Wing span of adults is roughly similar, coming in at around 40 to 48cm or to. We 're out and about birding McGill WWT 3rd April 2012 only record sightings the... August to November we only record sightings within the WVBS study area, and fledged four.! The children quizzed me about what made this particular creature so special France, the. Teresa Montras & Joan Goy Taxonomy: Monotypic status: Migratory some individuals, especially hen harrier November! Wonder that, when the RAF needed a name for their noticeably long tails wide and,!, there are some individuals, especially females, with wide dark stripes identical to ph Birdguides it!