Our first trip to Parkgate

Canada Geese welcomed us to Parkgate

I’d been wanting to visit Parkgate for quite a while, Findlay Wilde had mentioned it in his blogs and on twitter, so with a free Sunday we decided to get up and make the two and a half hour journey. Now the main reason for the trip was of course Hen Harriers, but they are never guaranteed, Findlay assured me we’d see one.

So we arrived in Parkgate at around 11 and decided to park near the Red Lion on the main street and walk from there. We sat on a bench and had a snack and a drink, I set up my scope just in case, and after a couple of minutes noticed a large bird low to the ground. It was a long way away but it was clear it was a Ringtail. I shouted, ‘Hen Harrier, dark bird on the horizon, 12 o’clock’. I was so pleased, but when I dropped my binoculars I noticed Lynne was looking in the wrong place, at a Lapwing. She was disappointed to have missed it as she had never seen one, but we were confident of another opportunity.

We walked for a while and saw Stonechat, Little Grebe, Little Egret, Grey Heron and a wonderful Great White Egret hunting. 

The Great White Egret is much more delicate than the Grey Heron

A few ducks were flying around, Teal and Mallard with Canada Geese and Corvids. We found another bench and stopped for lunch, a local couple stopped for a chat and told us about the high tide that was due in a few days and how it was a great chance for fantastic wildlife encounters, especially with Raptors as the water forced huge numbers of mice  and voles up the estuary. They had just seen a Merlin too and had a great photo. I showed them a Peregrine I had in my scope out on the marsh and they told me that a Long-eared Owl was present at RSPB Burton Mere and they went on their way.

Two hours passed and we still hadn’t seen another Hen Harrier, Lynne was getting worried. I had never seen a Long-eared Owl so was tempted to pop to see it. The thought of Lynne not seeing the Hen Harrier though was playing on my mind so we stuck to the plan. With just an hour of daylight left we decided to take a slow walk back to the car. A large bird of prey was heading our way quartering over the marshland, it was definitely a Harrier but as it got closer it became clear it was a Marsh Harrier. Lynne loves Marsh Harriers so she was very happy but I was desperate for her to see the bird that was the cause of all my twittering and letter writing to my MP.

A Marsh Harrier glided through in front of us

An unmistakable sound then started to fill the air as at least 2000 Pink-footed Geese took to the air, what a sight and sound, I instantly thought of Norfolk and the huge numbers of geese  I go to see there. I snapped a few photos and we carried on. 

The sound of Pink-footed Geese filled the air

We arrived back at the car and noticed the Great White Egret had stopped off just in front of where the car was so set up the scope and took a front row seat to watch it for a while. Now, the next half an hour was wonderful. 

One pond wasn't big enough for two fish eaters

Despite its larger size the Grey Heron was the one that left

As we were watching the Egret and a Heron having a bit of fisticuffs I noticed a bird flying in low, ‘HEN HARRIER’ , Lynne instantly clocked it and we enjoyed 4 great encounters with this magnificent bird. I’m not sure if it was 4 different birds or just 1 but it didn’t matter. In an instant Lynne understood my passion for this much persecuted raptor.

What a bird this is

We were so lucky to watch pass after pass

Not great photos but you get the point

It felt a little odd sat on a bench next to families out enjoying a pint or an ice cream but soon people started to ask what we were looking at, one little girl asked if the Egret was a snowman, which was so cute.

A real live snowman

 I couldn’t resist the opportunity to tell a few people about the plight of the Hen Harrier, all were so surprised that this was going on in modern Britain and were disgusted  by the actions of these blood thirsty greedy landowners. It was almost a party atmosphere as everyone enjoyed a little bit of wildlife drama in front of them instead of on the TV.

We packed up our gear at around 4 and headed home, both trying to decide when we could come back too this rather odd but great pace to watch birds. We had seen 41 species in a few hours and Lynne had her Hen Harrier, wonderful day.

Canada geese on a flyby

A Kestrel sat watching the world go by