Saturday 10 September 2016

Pallid Harrier juvenile - Big Moor

Another bird I was not expecting to see locally. News this morning that a harrier photographed yesterday on Big Moor had been identified as a juvenile Pallid came as a real surprise. 
I was on Beeley Moor at the time and decided to stay in that area, and have a look at East Moor, on the off chance it crossed the Baslow - Chesterfield road.
Mid-afternoon brought news of the first sightings again on Big Moor so I went to have a look late afternoon from the Baslow/ Owler Bar road. It wasn't long before it appeared from the Curbar direction and followed the Barbrook stream initially towards the Curbar crossroads before coming back up the stream towards Barbrook Reservoir. 
They were distant views but just about good enough to confirm the identification with distinct buff patches on the upper-wing coverts, just black tipped primaries on the underside of the wing with pale trailing edge and orangey/buff underparts.
First record for Derbyshire.
Worth another look tomorrow I think!
Pallid Harrier - juvenile
Pallid Harrier juv 11/9

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