23 June 2010

French Monties reaches Scotland

We recently blogged news of a French-ringed Montagu's Harrier seen in East Anglia (the first post is here). The story has developed somewhat since then, with sightings in Cambridgeshire and also possibly in South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

The most bizarre, though, was the record yesterday (22nd June) from Collieston, Aberdeenshire, in eastern Scotland! The bird was only seen briefly, but long enough to have its wing tags read. Some non-breeding birds will wander around prospecting nest sites, but at two years old you wonder when this bird will settle, and where!

The map below shows this bird's movements to date...


View French-ringed Montagu's Harrier in a larger map

2 comments:

  1. Note it was also seen in Cambridgeshire on the morning of 21st May - heading high west along the River Great Ouse. I should know - I saw it on both days (Ouse Fen on 20th, Berry Fen on 21st).

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  2. And I presume the French wing-tagged female Monty's recorded in southern Ireland, Tacumshim, in late July is the same individual too.

    If so, it's certainly giving the British Isles the Full Monty!

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