Scotch heathland reveals secrets

Across the border, I got lucky this evening (15th June). The weather was perfect and despite the reduced number of raptors compared to previous years (and the complete absence of Short-eared Owl), patience paid off. Having enjoyed taking shots of Whinchat (which seemed especially abundant just next to the road), I had all but given up on photographing raptors when I noticed something perched on a post amongst the young conifers. The light was perfect and the telescope came into its own: a pristine, preening adult male Hen Harrier! What a bird! Better still, when it had completed its feather inspection, it took to the air and flapped towards me, across the road and beyond the hill behind me. If only I'd adjusted the ISO! Yes, I got some pretty nice images, possibly my best of this species, but they could have been so much better.... Maybe next time. (This was in fact one of c. 4 birds I saw - a male high overhead, a distant female against the heather hillside and another female sparring briefly with the aforementioned photographed male.) That night (at 2am!) I heard the all-too familiar sound of a male Quail in full song, distant but almost certainly on the marsh - roughly the same spot where I heard one a few years ago.