Marsh Harrier

Monday 25/08 was a bank holiday and I planned to do a bit of birding around Northampton. The weather though dictated big time, tipping it down with rain ALL day!

So I reluctantly headed to the only reserve with any decent shelter, Summer Leys near Wellingborough.

Despite a considerable amount of shoreline and mud, waders were incredibly thin on the ground with the slim pickings consisting of singles of both Ringed Plover & Common Sand.

It then briefly hotted up a bit, with all the Lapwings going up. Out of nowhere a cream crown Marsh Harrier cruised round the left hand edge of the scrape, right towards me!

I managed to get the camera out as quickly as I could and started snapping away however didn't quite get the killer shots of it as it hovered no more than 20 feet from the hide!! Within a minute it cruised off south into the gloom.