Male Hen Harrier near Evesham 23rd May

[PEV]

I just can't believe my luck!!!
I was on Manor Farm Leisure commercial coarse fishing complex in Harvington Worcestershire(3 miles from Evesham ) last Sunday, when to my utter misbelief a beautiful male Hen Harrier idly soared right above me and dozens of other anglers. This was a 100% definite spot because it was down to no more than 100 feet for several circuits as it gained height and slowly moved away.
What a beautiful sight and I could not wait to get home and get video footage of the bird to confirm which Harrier it was.
I once saw a male Hen Harrier in Menorca in the Balaeiric Isles but that was about 20 years ago when Red Kites were common there and now the Hen Harrier I believe is all but extict there?
Can anyone say if I have been spectacularily lucky or is there a recorded presence of Hen Harriers in the Evesham area?
best regards to all
Ray (PEV)

[rolf]

Well done Ray, not seen one in England, only over at my sister's place in France, where they regularly patrol the fields, amazing to watch.

Certainly not listed for that area in Birdguides.com.

The RSPB are looking for people to report sightings. http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=2109

[ladylouise62]

If you do a google search there is the odd sighting, possibly of the same bird. A birding site (Worcesterbirding) comments about a sighting last November:
"..it appears to have settled in to a regular routine of quartering the fields west of the A46 between Evesham and Hinton-on-the-Green. Hopefully it will continue to do so for the remainder of the winter.

Hen Harriers are rare visitors to Worcestershire, with only one or two being seen most years. They rarely linger long enough to be seen by the masses and the last individual to do so was the bird that frequented the same fields as the famous trio of Little Buntings at Caunsall during February and March 2005."


... so hopefully you will get to see it again!