Heard but not seen

Last Summer there was an incident at one of the public hides I frequently visit where there was the sound of something hitting the roof. As at this particular hide Grey Squirrels frequently use the roof to gain access to the food put out for the birds, that was not unusual. However, it was clear that there was something on the roof and moving about. There were four others in the hide so myself and another investigated while one went to report that a child may have climbed up on to the roof. Personally I could not see anything as the building is to tall, nor could I see where or how a child could have gotten up there. When one of the rangers arrived, for reasons I still don't understand I got delegated to explain what had been heard. I also said that I could not see that it could be a child .

When I went back into the hide I was told that I had just missed a Sparrow hawk that must have been standing on the roof swoop down and take a chaffinch. From the very spot that my video camera was focused on too. But that's sometimes the luck or lack of it when trying to film photograph or even watch wildlife.

On Wednesday I had been to see an Otter Holt, from my normal routes the terrain prevented access, but via an acquaintance I was shown a route over private land. While there, we both heard a bird singing and together we thought it might be a pied flycatcher. We could not see the bird but the song was a good identifier. I went back and checked my audio guide, and I was pretty sure that it was a pied flycatcher that we heard. I went back to the part I can access in the hope of seeing or hearing the bird again but to no avail. It was a delightful blanket of sound that washed over me, but not very good for filming as its to densely wooded. Another example of hearing but not seeing.

Now that I have my computer working, I have started looking at the films that I have shot, more stuff to bore my long suffering reader with, and noticed that while filming one bird, I clearly recorded a Waxwing song on the sound track. At the time I did try looking for it, but I could not spot the bird.

On the way back from my sojourn to near the Holt, I met with one of the regular dog walkers I see. We often chat about what we have seen. I have frequently played back raw footage to him and there have been times when he has called me if he has spotted anything of note. When I got home I had just made some tea when he called me, he had spotted a Harrier.

As I had not had breakfast before going out the first time, I finished my tea and was back out, making sure the cat was fed even if I was not. I went to the location and scanned the area for nearly an hour. The topography makes it difficult for wildlife watching and hence good for the wildlife to conceal themselves. In this particular spot I have occasionally seen deer or they have seen me and bolted. I was nearly ready to give up the search when I heard the Harriers call. I would not call it a song. Having estimated where the sound was emanating from, I scoured the landscape but even spending another hour and half looking bore no fruit. However I kept on hearing a Harrier, or was it two?

My best guess was that its a Hen Harrier or a pair, but to me the calls of Harriers are to similar and I have had so few sightings to be able to recognise what species it was. But based upon habitat and landscape I would guess it was a Hen Harrier. While the outside bet would be a Marsh Harrier, as I did not see the bird or birds, I can not be sure.

As I had other chores to undertake and I was ready to eat a horse, its a good job I never passed any riders on the way back, I had to leave the search. Will the birds stay for a few days? I just don't know, but I would love it if they were to nest there.