Marsh Harrier Roost NDC (Monday) & more good local birds

Unfortunately I had to spend the day sat in the office (which was actually quite interesting in itself) however I'd have preferred to have been in the field, especially given what was found in the local area today...

Got a message early afternoon that there was a Grey Plover on the (now pretty good looking) wader habitat at Bank Island.  I think there has only been 1 reported Grey Plover in the York Recording Area this year, and this was a fly-through, so is quite an important record for those year-listing (I hear 2 of the "Big 3" connected....Tim?). Grey Plover is referred to as a Winter Visitor and Passage Migrant in the York Area according to the YOC report. I got one in March last year but haven't connected this year.

Even better than the the Grey Plover was the Gannet that flew over Bank Island a bit later this afternoon per another gripping message! Considered a scarce autumn visitor on passage according to the YOC report, it is a proper difficult one to catch up with, you just need to be lucky - as was "Jammy Tim" earlier in the year... still needed by 2 of the "Big 3".

Gannet nicked from Tims Blog... (to see if he reads this!)

Got a message from Chris this evening, he'd been down at the Harrier Roost at North Duffield Carrs this evening.  A conservative estimate of roosting harriers tonight was 13 birds, with potentially 3 or 4 more birds  on top of that.  Included within that were at least 5 males of varying ages.

I'm working from home tomorrow so will hopefully be able to check out the roost.  I hear there was a Hen Harrier not too far from the York Recording Area boundary today, it would be rather nice if it/another were to drop in to add a splash of scarcity!