AT 10.45 am on April 10, birder and scientist Don Scott witnessed an extraordinary sight as he walked along a forest path on his patch in Antrim.
Flying towards him was a large bird of prey which he at first took to be a buzzard, and it was carrying a large item of prey.
But as it passed directly over his head at a height of no more than 50 metres, he suddenly twigged that he was watching a goshawk, and gripped in its talons was another raptor . . . a male hen harrier.
The episode is described in Scott's The Hen Harrier - an endlessly fascinating account of 24 years of studying and recording every aspect of this most iconic iconic uplands bird of prey.
The book is sub-titled In The Shadow of Slemish because the 450-metre high Slemish Mountain provided the beautiful backdrop for his field research which was carried out in every type of weather, often extreme.
The decision by go-ahead Caithness-based firm Whittles Publishing to re-promote the title is timely because today (August 10) is Hen Harrier Day.
It is a most captivating book which will be of immense interest to anyone interested in raptors and the birds of windswept uplands in which ever country or county they may be.
The fast-paced brightly-written narrative is characterised by attention to detail, honesty, sincerity enthusiasm and, where need be, a refreshing readiness to criticise the sometimes holier-than-thou attitudes of conservation organisations when they prognosticate from a pre-set agenda on matters of which they may have little first-hand field experience.
But back to the incident involving the goshawk. It is a graphic reminder that, though human persecution - Scott admits to being 'paranoid' about gamekeepers - is a massive and abiding threat, there are many others, not least predation of nests and chicks by red foxes.
the author notes that cold wet weather can 'make or break' a breeding season, and, understandably, he frets perpetually about ongoing loss of habitat through degradation of heather moorland.
"Nothing beats the excitement of seeing hen harriers in the wild," he writes. "We simply cannot afford to lose these magnificent raptors from our uplands.
"If we do, it will probably be due to habitat loss. And there will be no reintroducing a species where there is no habitat."
Priced at £18.99, The Hen Harrier has been praised by many, among them BBC Wildlife presenter Iolo Williams.
Writes Williams: "Anyone willing to sit on his backside on wet ground for weeks on end through, rain, hail and snow before walking through acres of thick Sitka spruce, then returning to watch once more, deserves a medal.
"To do this every spring and summer for 24 years deserves a knighthood."
This excellent book can be ordered via www.whittlespublishing.com (01593 731333).