A rare male Hen Harrier, one of Britain’s most elusive birds of prey, stunned birdwatchers at Wallasea Island in Essex.

Gliding silently across the marshes, it put up a breath-taking display.

A male Hen Harrier spotting, particularly in the South East of England, is a remarkable feat as most sightings are concentrated in Northern England, Scotland, and parts of Wales

The Hen Harrier is one of the UK’s rarest raptors, and seeing a male Hen Harrier - which is more striking and harder-to-spot - is a remarkable and rare treat, especially outside their breeding strongholds.

Native wild animals in the UK

Pamella Warren, a keen-eyed birder from south Essex, captured the moment on camera just as she arrived.

“We’d hoped to see the Barn Owl, but instead were treated to something far more special,” she said.

“It was a magnificent surprise.”

Known as the "Grey Ghost" for its silvery plumage and stealthy flight, the male Hen Harrier is rarely seen in lowland Essex.

It is Red-Listed- of highest conservation concern. 

With a wingspan of up to 120cm and striking black wingtips, it cuts a ghostly figure as it hunts low over open ground.

These raptors are exceptionally rare in England, with fewer than 50 confirmed nesting attempts nationwide last year.

Decades of habitat loss and illegal persecution on upland grouse moors have driven their numbers to critical levels, earning them red-list status as a bird of the highest conservation concern.

Hen Harriers can live up to 16 years in the wild, though many perish young.

For Essex birders, this fleeting visit was unforgettable.