Is it a Bird?

Quick stop at Arcot this afternoon, post chores/pre work at 5pm (yes, dear Reader, three 5pm starts over a Bank Holiday weekend.  What a p*sser!!).  Anyway, as I neared the big tree where the Highland Cows are, a water-borne commotion in the NE corner, immediately (and wrongly) attributed to two Coots.  Not so!

A large brown bird rose from the water, up on off NW and through the bins, a Marsh Harrier that chose to loop back and sit up for five minutes, before rising again and a short 'hop' into the reedbed with a small, dark prey item in its talons.

Belter - and on top of four pairs on Tufties, three drake Pochard, two Mallard drakes, a Little Grebe and a Coot plus wee one (pleased this wasn't the Harrier bait!).

And for those who like a competition, two of the better digiscoped images from well over 120 metres away.  I am having some 1 2 1 tuition on 4th July so things can only get better!