5 March 2011

Big excitement this morning when Pete found a Rough-legged Buzzard along the Pallid track.  I scrambled out of bed and cycled down to get there in the nick of time.  A great bird, with very distinctive jizz in flight, like a cross between a harrier and an eagle, and pretty classic plumage - pale headed, dark carpels, dark lower belly and flanks, dark banded white tail etc.

When I arrived I managed to get this remarkably intimate portrait before it flew off to the east.  Pete, who was by this time much further along the track, saw it land further along in the ploughed field to the south of the track but it flew out of sight from me behind a ridge in the field and I, along with Ted and John, who had by now joined me, were unable to find it again, despite cycling down the road to Hemsby and then back along the track and looking at the field from every angle. It must have made a getaway flying low along another of the ridges in this annoyingly humpy field. As we walked back a Common Buzzard flew over, occasioning a brief interrogation on the identity of the orignal bird from those who hadn't seen it, and Neil joined us to hear the bad news.

We have phoned the news out so perhaps some better birders will now arrive and relocate it for us!

And here is a painting of the bird by Seurat, the celebrated pointillist: