Monday 8th September

A Wheatear was on the debris along the Garnock Estuary at Bogside. The upper estuary held good numbers of ducks, including 110 Wigeon, 29 Teal, and a Pintail. 12 Snipe were also on the upper estuary. A ringtail Hen Harrier was hunting at Ardeer Fen. I watched it hunting from the old stone bridge for a couple of minutes before it caught something. Because it landed amid sparse vegetation, I got good views of it finishing off its meal within 3 minutes. It spent the next 20 minutes surveying its surroundings fom the ground and preening before it took flight and resumed hunting. I got great views for a couple of minutes before, after one serious pounce, it dropped to the ground half-heartedly and stayed there.
(Photo: Common Snipe)