I posted this image a couple of years ago but it fits well with this month's theme so here it is again with some new insights as to what is going on.I had parked my truck at a bend in the road when I saw this harrier land in the edge of the field just down the road. I got on my tripod and started slowly moving closer until I could see she was messing around with something and thought maybe she'd caught a mouse. Only when closer did I make out that it was eggs she had. Sometimes you could see some yolk dripping from her beak. It looks like the baby pheasant inside the egg was almost fully formed and feathered, so probably pretty close to hatching. It was strange place for a pheasant nest in terms of it's proximity to the farm activity and road but most of the pheasants on Westham Is. are pen raised so maybe not. I couldn't get a better sun angle due to being on a narrow farm road fenced on both sides so I just waited until I got the best turn of head to let the sun light up one eye and side of her face. The half light half shade lends a rather sinister overtone of evil to the image. Canon 7DII, Sigma 150-600, f5-6.3 OS Contemp. ISO 800, 1/1000, f/6.3.
Theme:harrier with pheasant egg
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