My favourite spot for spotting Marsh Harriers is at the Paithona stream. During the dry season on an average day, if I spend about an hour there anywhere between 9 am and noon, I’m almost certain to see one. Marsh Harriers fly low when hunting and can look very similar to black kites. Marsh harriers however managed to frighten and scatter every single bird in their path, unlike the kites who barely draw a raised eyebrow from the same birds!
If you ever notice egrets and other water birds suddenly taking off in a flock, look carefully – more often than not, there’s a Marsh Harrier trying to make a meal out of them!

The first two shots below were taken at Velim Lake in south Goa. The bottom two shots were taken at Paithona stream.
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