Eastern Marsh Harriers at Mai Po, Hong Kong

Eastern Marsh Harrier - Circus spilonotus

Both EMH and Pied Harriers have been around Mai Po in the last few days. Pied is usually a passage migrant here in Hong Kong, Eastern Marsh Harriers may be arriving for the whole winter.

I detect a "speciesist" tendency among the Hong Kong bird-photographing fraternity, who seem biased in favor of Pied Harrier, - especially if an adult male comes into view.

So far this autumn, no adult males, but perhaps it's only a question of time.

Meanwhile the only Pied Harriers this autumn I've seen were: -

                        1) Juvenile
                        2) Against the light
                        3) Miles away.

So you'll have to settle for these; two different first-winter Eastern Marsh Harriers.

Eastern Marsh Harrier - Circus spilonotus

Eastern Marsh Harrier - Circus spilonotus

Eastern Marsh Harrier - Circus spilonotus

And the second, rather cooler-toned individual; -

Eastern Marsh Harrier - Circus spilonotus

Eastern Marsh Harrier - Circus spilonotus

Eastern Marsh Harrier - Circus spilonotus

Finally: - "John's Photo Masterclass"

The feature you've all been waiting for, no doubt.  (To give myself more gravitas, I'm going to refer to myself in the third person from here on.)

Eastern Marsh Harriers - Circus spilonotus

John says :

"If you can get both Harriers in the same frame, don't cut off the wing of one of them, like I just did !"