Wednesday 21 September 2011

juv. Pallid harrier (Circus macrourus L. ) Burpham, West Sussex (record shots)


Having successfully "twitched" the juv. pallid harrier yesterday evening, in Burpham, West Sussex and enjoyed crippling views of this stunning bird as it hunted over a game strip; I returned again this evening after work with the camera to capture some passable (?) record shots.

The pallid harrier is a worthy bird to challenge my limited photography skills, being used to capturing birds on the ground only - I had to graduate to shooting a moving and very active bird. The results are necessarily poor.

Other raptor highlights seen in the vicinity today included a single hobby (Falco subbuteo), 2 sparrowhawk (Accipiter nissus), numerous kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), umpteen buzzards (Buteo buteo) and a distant hen harrier (Circus cyaneus). Whilst yesterday a red kite (Milvus milvus) was also apparent.

Sunday 18 September 2011

woodland "ride" clearance with HCV at Mottisfont


The photograph was taken part way through Day Two of a Hampshire Conservation Volunteers weekend volunteer activity creating 12ft (4m approx) woodland rides alongside the stream and boardwalk (far left) at Mottisfont "duck grounds" Nr Romsey, Hampshire.

N.B. the stream is currently very overgrown and silted requiring future attention. It is situated in the ditch to the left of the boardwalk

The rides will eventually be extended along both sides of  the boardwalk - to create more suitable habitat for dragonflies within the wet woodland.

More information about Hampshire Conservation Volunteers, and the work that they do can be found at:

http://www.hcv.hampshire.org.uk/