These are from Leighton Moss a week ago, when the facilities were still fully open.
Singing for spring - I couldn't quite get a clear view.
Nutty
The Harriers were showing well ... er, not sure what Harrier this is, mind.
No, really the Harriers were out in force.
A male
There were two adult males and two adult females up by Grizedale at the same time - one of the females.
A male screaming at something
Female passes in front of male
Now, the female is shouting
Got a brief glimpse of a Cetti's but didn't even manage a bad photo. Otherwise, it was relatively quiet, especially on the wildfowl front.
A Common Frog by the path - I suspect it was dying as it never moved a muscle when it should have been ducking for cover.
Did get a Snipe
The Avocets were practising extreme wading in water that marginally too deep for them. Every now and again one would capsize.
A rather colourful wader flies over the pool
Thanks all
Unknown said:Stay well all and keep your 2 metre distance.
I have, even when out in the countryside, and I hope it will still be an option.
I don't claim to be expert Hazel, but I knew French males were often known to be cross-dressers (Marsh Harriers that is), so I looked it up. After quite a superficial search I found a scientific paper on Harriers from Western France which can be roughly summed up as.
If the wings contain significant grey - it's male
If the tail is grey - it's male (even if the wings aren't)
Very little else can be told from plumage alone as the species is much more polymorphic than previous guides and reports suggested
If it isn't a 'typical' male then the only real way to tell is physical ie wing shape, size and jizz and not plumage (which is out of my league) or which one makes the food pass and which one receives it. Likewise the evidence seems inconclusive about estimating age, especially for those with typical 'female' colouring whether it is female or not. It's obviously more complicated or they wouldn't have needed a full report but that's the general gist
Interestingly, they said this was more applicable to Western France. Those that migrated to Africa from N and E Europe were more typical although cross-dressing males were still known to a lesser degree, but that may be due to lack of research. Who knows what that means in the UK were they seem to be in the process of giving up migration!!!
Perhaps there are other, newer reports to consider as well but I didn't get that far.