Crystal Clear ( for Harriers)

Headed up to the moors today , I looked at the local forecast and it said clear from 1600 - 1800. That will do. A Woodcock was flying around as I got out of the car and a couple of Grouse could be heard calling from the moor ,  it takes about 20/ 5 minutes to get to the viewing area and it was  -1  as I set off. Plenty of Mallards and Canadas on the water and a couple of noisy Oystercatchers , Cole ,Blue and Great Tits , 2 Siskin 1 Chaffinch  in the wood and a couple of rattling Mistle thrush. A pair of Collard Doves were displaying and 4 Stock Doves were on the dam wall.
   A Harrier at 4.32 looked at first like a small 1st winter male , with very pale greater coverts , dark secondries  and fully winged . It did a few circles and landed on a fence post , the light was perfect and the bird looked to have a nice orange chest. This bird stayed on the post for at least an hour, It was soon joined by another larger ringtail which did the same and landed on a post close by.
   A long wait till the next one turned up at 5..20 the ringtail with primary missing ( 7  )  which went into roost then the one with the tatty tail (10)turbed up  as I got it in the scope a Short - eared Owl was picked up  just behind it , I watched these two for the next 10 minutes twisting and tuning in the sky, I could hear Tawny Owls calling close by. Lots of Curlew calls as they came into roost. The SEOwl and Harrier were still at it when 2 more ringtails joined in and soon after the male Hen Harrier ( 1  )was in the middle of them, 3 ringtails , 1 male HH  and a SEO all together in the sky, the other two Harriers were still on the posts ,and had been joined by a very dark Buzzard. Another Raptor was seen on top of the hill which looked like another Harrier but I was not 100%.
My hands were blue and as i moved the tripod it picked up a large piece of frozen ice from where it had been for the last hour. 2 Ravens  cronking and another look at the 3 harriers in the sky and it was time to head for the car as the snow was starting to come down..... A great evening and  - 3 when I got back to the car...Crystal clear days like today is why we make the effort ............brilliant