Rozel coastline - North Jersey

A splendid day on the North coast path on the island of Jersey. 

Just over here for an essential meeting, so I neglected to bring all the camera gear this time. Was that a BIG mistake. Normally I trudge round with the big lens hoping to get some nice shots, and usually manage a few. But today we stepped out of the car and over a 9km round managed to bag great sightings of 5 different species of raptor: First a Buzzard circling on the gentle warm breeze, then a fab sighting of a great big Goshawk which then sat in a tree for a while looking this way and that and giving us plenty of time to check the bird guide to confirm our choice. When we joined the coat path after a detour inland, we then spotted a Kestrel hovering and another Buzzard, a Peregrine flew back and forth along the cliffs at breakneck speed screeching and generally showing off and then I spotted a female Hen Harrier sitting on a rock on the way to Rozel head. This picture is from the headland looking back along the coast we just walked along. The Harrier is sitting on the knobbly bit just left of centre - quite obvious but very small (I am now sorely in need of my big lens).

As we wandered back the Harrier flew over to where we had just been looking to scramble up onto another rocky tor and very deliberately just flumped onto the ground with its wings outstretched ...  a classic hawk stoop. It flew a short distance away to a perch and observed all around for a good few minutes before setting to devour the unlucky rodent it had snagged in its talons. I think it was being extra careful due to the number of gulls in the area that would have been only to keen to try to relieve it of its meal. Even the Kestrel landed close by and kept careful watch incase there might be any leftovers.

So - all-in-all quite a good tally for a sultry day in the Bailiwick