Montagu’s Harrier, Circus pygargus

Local status: Very rare summer migrant

Montagu’s Harrier remains a true rarity in the York area, with the only twitchable bird being a distant memory back in 1987. A small breeding population on the inner Humber in recent years may lead to increased sightings in the York area and certainly was the source of the 2015 record. This species can turn up anywhere, with birds being recorded from early May through to the end of August. There have been a small number of claims of this species that were published by the YOC but later rejected by the YNU and are therefore omitted from the records below. With the increasing frequency of Pallid Harriers, Circus macrourus, in the UK,
observers are advised to familiarise themselves with the identification criteria of the three smaller harriers, as the first York Pallid Harrier could come this way soon.

Records:
2015: North Duffield Carrs, 16th June. Male.
2014: Eastrington Ponds, 5th June. Male.
2008: Wheldrake Ings, 2nd July. Female.
2006: Castle Howard, 24th June and Terrington, 10th July. First-summer male.
1996: Wheldrake Ings, 6th July. Female.
1990: Acaster Selby and Stillingfleet, 3rd June. Female.
1987: Lower Derwent Valley, 16th June to 20th August. Immature female.
1980: Bowthorpe, 4th May. Male.
1968: Foggathorpe, a pair reared three young.
1967: Rufforth, 20th August. Male.