I arrived on site early this morning, just after the sunrise. My aim - the Pallid Harrier which roosted there on the 26th for the second time. I walked up to the 1st Viewing Mound over the Black Barn pools and there were only two other birders there! Anyway, one of the RSPB guys, Rolf spotted a Harrier on the other side of the track as it headed down towards the Black Barn. A quick check before it landed confirmed it was the illusive Pallid! The bird landed on a small grassy mound and sat preening itself for 20 minutes or so before taking off again, seemingly hunting. It then landed again but now out of sight. However, it went up again when the sheep came trotting into the field. This time is headed back towards the Thames then across East out across the Isle of Grain. A really stunning bird and all the features were easy enough to pick up. The really obvious pale collar which extended onto the nape, the pale trailing edge or hand of the wing, the rufous, unstreaked belly and breast. However, looking at some photos of the bird, the wing tip is not pale, but appears dark. This doesn't question the Id, but is an interesting feature nonetheless. The other thing I learnt about Pallid Harriers is that the iris is pale in Juv males but not Juv females, making this bird a male. Cool bird and only the third Kent record and the first since 2002.
Also on the reserve were 3 Curlew Sands, 13 Dunlin, 5 Ruff, 6 Blackwits, 2 Barwits (circled over 1st Black Barn pool but didn't land), Lapwing, Avocet and Green Sanpiper. Just before I left, a Marsh Harrier passed through. Again, there was a Black-necked Grebe on Flamingo.
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