Marsh Harrier follows Otter (short version)

I've been lucky to have a good few rare or mysterious wildlife encounters in my time on this wonderful planet already, but this one certainly jumps up a few places in the league table of strangeness.

People have been asking me whether I think the Marsh Harrier is interested in stealing fish - or even attacking the Otter itself, but I would say neither is the case.

I would say it's just one Apex Predator in the Norfolk Broads being a bit put off by the presence of another Apex Predator. It gets as close to the definition of 'mobbing' as you can get and if the Otter were out of water, I think the bird would have been even bolder.

However, fortunately, it didn't make physical contact with the Otter... because one slip up may have been curtains for it in my opinion. Talons and beak or no, I think the Otter wouldn't have been in danger if there was a subsequent battle in the water.

This all took place in about a half an hour in mid-afternoon at Strumpshaw Fen RSPB reserve in Norfolk.

If you've ever wished to see such a sighting in the flesh yourself, and live in the South-East of the UK, I would urge you: join the RSPB, then hop on a train and get up there! Cheers.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Western
• Marsh
• harrier
• Circus
• aeruginosus
• bird
• of
• prey
• Eurasian
• European
• Otter
• Lutra
• lutra
• Strumpshaw
• RSPB
• fen
• Norfolk
• birdwatching
• ornithology
• mammal
• wildlife
• nature
• predator

[NightHeronProduction]

Thats a very intresting peice of footage



[zeeox]

@NightHeronProduction - yes, I'm hoping someone might confirm my suspicions that it was just a bit of tentative mobbing, rather than, say, the harrier eyeing up the otter (or its fish) as potential food (which would, as I said in the blurb) been a big mistake! :-)

[MrFraneque]

Even watching & enjoying with no recording sometimes is enough for a whole-life memory

[zeeox]

@MrFraneque - you are right. I do get a bit obsessed about trying to record my sightings... but there's no doubt that the encounter itself is the important thing. I felt doubly-lucky for this one!

[MrFraneque]

Just great that close encounters of the 3rd kind...in the marsh attack!

Really great luck the one you had watching that; I only saw both species separately, never such a wild meeting together.

Thumbs up!

[zeeox]

@MrFraneque - thanks for your comment.. and thumbs up! Yes, I counted myself particularly lucky that day! It made be very happy too.

[zeeox]

@TK42138 - I hope it was. But even if not, I hope you get your wish and have both a confirmed and long encounter like this one day. I would say that if you got up to Little Paxton for only an hour or two for a few mornings here and there and then waited at the Kingfisher Hide, you should eventually hit gold. Btw, fyi: I worded the video '...follows' rather than '...mobbing' because it wasn't quite a manic enough episode as, say, a crow mobbing the harrier would have been. But you are right tho'!

[TK42138]

@zeeox

Re the Otter spotting at FD, I'm 90 percent sure it was an otter but I'd like to get a longer sighting just to be sure. Amazing to see that Marsh Harrier 'mobbing' the otter. Nicely videoed.

[zeeox]

@TK42138 - No, unfortunately. It was on the cards this summer but I got no further than a brief visit to the New Forest in the end. Hopefully next year... there's no doubt that I want to get there eventually! Sikas, Sand Lizards, Smooth Snakes, Wasp Spiders... wildlife heaven!

[zeeox]

@TK42138 - Sorry, you've watched it before I've got round to adding the description! It was RSPB Strumpshaw Fen, just outside Norwich, so as local to you as it is to me. I got the train there - not a bad connection really.

I thought you'd seen an otter at FD? I would say that Strumpshaw's one of the best places to increase your chances of catching a sighting in East Anglia. That, and maybe Little Paxton Nature Reserve nearer to you. Thanks for watching and commenting as always.