This afternoon I paid a visit to the Crown Estate Fields and was rewarded with 3 Short-eared Owls. The one good thing about these owls is that you don't have to go running around looking for them as they inevitably come to you. Maybe today wasn't one of those days, but I did have lovely views of 3 birds from around 300 metres away as they hunted over the long grass. There activities didn't go unnoticed by the local Kestrels, with one bird continuously mobbing the owls.
On the way back to the Obs a Sparrowhawk flew into the Obs garden whilst in the fields were 2 Buzzards.
Here are a few photographs taken in very low light conditions.
The wonders of cameras. The arrow points to the spot of one the Short-eared Owls.
And here it is zoomed in on the fence post and then...........
.........a few seconds later in flight.
A Meadow Pipit.
Birds Recorded: 1 Common Buzzard, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Kestrel, Pheasant, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, 3 Short-eared Owl, 4 Skylark, 5 Meadow Pipit, Starling, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Dunnock, 2 Stonechat, Blackbird, 2 Song Thrush, Chaffinch and Linnet.
Church Ope Cove and Penns Wood
Another gloomy day, but a pleasant walk down through Penns Wood to Church Ope Cove and back, with Sam Lloyd who joined me in the hope of catching a glimpse of the Black Redstart overwintering at the cove.
In fact we did better than a glance as the Black Redstart, the overwintering Stonechat and the male Pied Wagtail all came to us as we stood in the middle of the beach.
Also feeding on the Kelp Flies here were 5 each of Rock Pipit and Wren. The Grey Wagtail was here briefly before heading off towards Penns Wood and as we left a Carrion Crow joined the birds feeding in amongst the seaweed.
There was no sign of the "Rock" Robin, but the "Hut" Robin put in an appearance.
On the way back up through Penns Wood I was caught out by Great Tit mimicking a Wren. Great Tits have an amazing range of calls and notes and as we were watching a male Great Tit, I could have sworn there was a Wren calling behind it. But no it was the Great Tit and not for the first time I was caught out by this bird.
Further up into the wood were many Blue Tits, Great Tits, Chaffinches and at least 3 Robins. We had a possible Chiffchaff call, but we never saw it and there was definitely one Goldcrest, possibly a second calling further away.
Here are a few photos from this morning:
The overwintering Black Redstart is still on the beach at Church Ope Cove.........
......as is the Stonechat, which put in a reappearance, having been AWOL for a few days.
Here they are together.
One of the 5 Rock Pipits here today. It was noticeable that one or two birds had olive underparts as opposed to this dark individual.
The male Pied Wagtail was being very territorial and chased off anything that encroached onto his patch of beach.
And who doesn't like seeing a Robin, especially as photogenic as this one was at the top of Penns Wood.
Birds Recorded: 1 Kestrel, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, 5 Rock Pipit, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Grey Wagtail, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Wren, Dunnock, possible Chiffchaff, 1 possibly 2 Goldcrest, 1 Stonechat, 1 Black Redstart, Robin, Blackbird, Great Tit, Blue Tit and Chaffinch.
Ships Today
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On this day..........
2018
Today's Sightings Here