27/01/2019 Ashdown Bird Group Annual Outing to Norfolk 4/4

Sunday 27 January 2019
Day 4/4

The winds were quite strong today, adding to the problems associated with the cold weather.  The plan was to start moving south calling in at reserves on the way home. 

• We had no luck just down the road, at Thornham, where 2 Waxwings had been reported yesterday.
• There were, however, huge numbers of Fieldfare and Redwings around.

Sculthorpe Moor Nature Reserve

Fakenham, Norfolk

 

One of our must visit venues with its fabulous variety of passerines.

• Pick of the bunch were the stunning Bramblings seen at the feeders. 

 

• Not far behind came the Bullfinches, especially the males.  They too came to the feeders, enabling us to get superb close up views.
• From the Tower Hide we had close up views of Lesser Redpoll, Marsh Tit, Long-tailed Tit and Chaffinch. 
• On the boardwalk trail we saw a small flock of Siskin at the top of the tall trees.
• I saw my first Goldcrest of the year in the ivy around one of the trees just to the side of the boardwalk.

The birds were terrific but I'm afraid they were eclipsed by the 4 Otters that were seen swimming across the water in front of the Whitley Hide.

 

 

 

Manea

Cambridgeshire

 

Our final venue was Manea in Cambridgeshire where we tried to find Cranes.  On the way up we tried several venues but we were unsuccessful.  This time we were more confident because a large group had been seen here yesterday.

 

Despite our best efforts for over an hour we were again unsuccessful. - it was too windy we believe and the Cranes had moved to a more sheltered site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A great trip with over 110 species seen.  Thanks to Bob J and the rest of the group for their camaraderie and shared interest.

 



26/01/2019 Ashdown Bird Group Annual Outing to Norfolk 3/4

Saturday 26 January 2019
Day 3/4

Holkham

As soon as breakfast was over we headed east to Holkham hoping to catch the Pink-footed Geese before they flew out to the sugar-beet fields for the day.

• We needn't have worried - as we got there, a huge flock of 2000+ came in and landed in the field adjacent to and west of Lady Anne's Road.



Then we were off on to the beach, heading east.  The birders returning to the car park had seen Snow Buntings but not Shorelarks.

• We were more fortunate.  As we reached the cordoned off area of the beach we saw the Shorelarks, 12+ of them, at the northern end moving around in the vegetation.  The next 15 minutes or so were sheer bliss as we watched these lovely birds.

courtesy of Marcus Nash



• The Snow Buntings, 60+ of them, were more ubiquitous.  We saw them on the ground in the vegetation and on the path and in the air flying over the vegetation, flying by the sand dunes and flying over the tree tops - you could hardly miss them.

 





• Marcus and his son Luke saw us and joined us for a short while.  As I was asking Marcus about the location of the Dartford Warbler, Luke spotted a Stonechat on top of the bushes by the path so we waited for the warbler to join it, which it duly did.  It showed several times over the next 15 minutes or so as it flitted around.

courtesy of Lee Evans and Twitter

• Unfortunately we lost track of the Shorelarks which meant that the rest of our group who had just arrived, after starting the day at Thornham Harbour to see the Twite, missed out.

 Cley

• On the way to Cley, we came across a Barn Owl, perched on the branches of a tree about 100 metres away.  It moved closer to us, obviously intrigued by our presence.  Then it gave a lovely flight display as it moved across the fields in front of us.
• We called in at the centre to check on the whereabouts of the Glaucous Gull that had been seen in the area for several days.  We headed out on the east path down to the sand dunes and, off to the right, 100 metres away was the gull sitting patiently near a Great Black-backed Gull which was feasting on a dead seal carcass. 

 

 

 



Stiffkey


Our final port of call was Stiffkey for the raptor roost.

• As soon as we arrived we saw 2 Ring-tailed Hen Harriers foraging across the marshes in front of us.  We had frequent sightings of presumably the same birds for the next 30 minutes or so. 
• Not to be outdone, the Marsh Harrier turned up and displayed at regular intervals.
• We even had a Merlin turn up.  Initially we saw it on top of a bush out in the marshes.  Then it flew to a nearby bush before flying away west.
• Then our prayers were answered when a stunning male Hen Harrier flew east across our entire field of view giving us superb views.

 

Our best day yet methinks!

25/01/2019. Ashdown Bird Group Annual Outing to Norfolk 2/4

Friday 25 January 2019
RSPB Titchwell and surrounding area.

A fabulous day birding in the Titchwell area with some great sightings.  The weather was mild but overcast - we are so lucky.

The high tide at Titchwell was at 09.20 so we made our way out to the seawatching area first.

• Top of the bill for me were the Long-tailed Ducks - of which there were many including lots of drakes. 
• We saw 3 grebe species, a Red- necked Grebe, a Slavonian Grebe and several Great-crested Grebes.
• Add to these a Purple Sandpiper, 2 female Eiders, numerous Goldeneye, a Red-throated Diver and the usual shore birds and you get some idea of the scale of the experience.
• On the way out we saw a Water Rail in the usual place.  On the return leg we saw 2!

Next stop was the Parrinder Hide.

• The views of the Water Pipit were better than those a couple of weeks ago.  The bird was closer and the lighting was better.
• 2 drake Pintails delighted us.
• The Brent Geese and the 3 Golden Plovers also stood out from the rest of the birds on show.

• At lunch, back at the centre, we saw a single Brambling on the feeders at the rear of the building.

courtesy of Marcus Nash



Next was a tour in the Choseley Barns area, looking for the Rough-legged Buzzard that had been reported an hour or so before.

• We met Les Bunyan, local birder and volunteer at Titchwell and, as promised, he left to find the bird then returned to lead us to the sighting area.  It was showing well on top of the trees in the distance.  His photographs are shown below - we owe him a big vote of thanks.



courtesy of Les Bunyan and Twitter



 

courtesy of Les Bunyan and Twitter



• We also saw our first Pink-footed Geese of the trip, when a skein of 40+ flew overhead.



courtesy of Marcus Nash

On the way back to Titchwell, prior to the Harrier roost, we called in at  Thornham Harbour to see the Twite.  

•  As usual, they obliged, looking stunning in the early evening light.



courtesy of Marcus Nash



 

 

The Raptor roost, viewed from the main path on the west side of Titchwell, was an amazing event.

•   43+ Marsh Harriers were seen in the air at the same time.
• With this number of Marsh Harriers around, finding the Ring-tailed Hen Harriers was always going to be difficult but we did manage to get good views of one, quite early on before the build up of the Marsh Harrier flock.

 

All in the group agreed - another mega birding experience.



24/01/2019. Ashdown Bird Group Annual Outing to Norfolk. 1/4

Day 1/4

RSPB Ouse Washes in Cambridgeshire

• The undoubted highlight of this visit was the  sight of thousands of Whooper Swans in the fields just north of the visitor centre and inland rom the River Ouse.
• I saw my first Tree Sparrow of the year at the feeders by the visitor centre.

courtesy of Bob Johnson



• On the river the usual suspects were out in force, including Black-tailed Godwits and Marsh Harriers.

RSPB Nene Washes at Eldernell

• Here the outstanding bird was the Barn Owl that came out to play just as the light started to fade.  We enjoyed watching it fly over the reed and over the stream into the nearby fields.
• Other highlights included a couple of Red Kite and a Kingfisher.

A good start with over 50 species seen and we haven't started birding in Norfolk yet!

2/01/2019 Newhaven - no Black Redstarts but plenty of Fulmars.

Monday 21 January 2019
Newhaven

• Siskins at the feeder all day, a sure sign that food is scarce and it is cold!

Siskin (f) left Goldfinch right



• No luck with Black Redstarts at Newhaven this afternoon despite recent reports of 2 sightings.

• Thankfully there were good numbers of Fulmar flying around.
  
  
  A most enjoyable visit - I love Fulmars!

19/01/2019 Bough Beech - Goosanders

Saturday 19 January 2019
Bough Beech Reservoir, Kent

Made the relatively short journey to Bough Beech Reservoir late this afternoon to take in the roost, hoping for Mandarin and Goosander.  Thankfully it stayed dry, if a tad cold.

• I managed to see the Goosanders.  The first time involved a female and 3 drakes which were swimming some 75 metres away before they disappeared in the trees at the side of the reservoir.  15 minutes later I saw another drake with a female swimming in the same area before they too disappeared into the habitation at the side.

• I had no luck with Mandarin.   Nor did I see either of the 2 Barn Owls that had been seen earlier in the meadow to the left of the hide by the Visitors Centre.

•  There were lots of Pochard around, smaller numbers of Wigeon, Gadwall and Great-crested Grebe as well as the usual suspects.

Another very enjoyable visit to a site I should frequent more often.

18/01/2019 Weir Wood Reservoir, Sussex

Friday 18 January 2019
Weir Wood Reservoir

I spent a couple of hours at Weir Wood Reservoir this afternoon.  It was cold but the sun was shining and the light was good.

• I spotted my first Grey Wagtail of 2019.  It was in the usual channel between the dam and the car park near the Southern Water buildings.
• There was a mixed flock of about 30 Redwings and Fieldfare in the field behind the Southern Water buildings.
• At the west end I saw Marsh Tits, Coal Tit, Nuthatch as well as the usual tits and finches.
• A Kingfisher flew into the bay to the east of the hide and my last sighting was a Mandarin flying west, low over the water.

A peaceful couple of hours at a favourite site.

14/01/2019 Hume's Warbler at Newhaven, Sussex - a 'Lifer'

Monday 14/01/2019
Riverside Park, Newhaven, Sussex

Lucky me!  The Hume's Warbler hadn't moved on so I went down to Riverside Park just before lunch to twitch it. 

• The bird was calling and flying around continuously, making it very difficult to get a good view in the bins. 

There were about 10 other birders present so we were able to track the bird as it moved around.




courtesy of Matt Eade and Twitter

After about 45 minutes everyone got their reward when the bird showed well on the left hand side of a low bush just 20 metres or so away.

This was a 'lifer' for me - the first of many in 2019 hopefully!

 

 

Hume's Leaf Warbler - BirdGuides

• A southern montane counterpart of Yellow-browed Warbler, Hume's breeds in Central Asia and winters in the Indian subcontinent. Previously regarded as a subspecies of Yellow-browed, its distinct morphology and vocalisations are now better understood.
• This is by far the rarest of the regular tiny leaf warblers in Britain, with 139 records to the end of 2015, but as with the other species, there is an upward trend.
• This is a bird of late autumn, occurring in late October and November (at the same time as Pallas's Warbler). The east coast has amassed the lion's share of records. A few individuals have overwintered.
• In size and structure, this species is essentially identical to Yellow-browed Warbler. However, its plumage is duller, more grey-green and less bright above, and 'dirtier' or more 'sullied looking' below. Its face pattern is blander and may be suffused with buff, while its wing-bars and tertial edges are less boldly defined and contrasting. Its median covert wing-bar may be almost absent. The bill and legs are predominantly dark.
• It has two call types: a cheery, rising che-wee, slightly reminiscent of Greenish Warbler, and a down-slurred swee-oo with a harsh, almost House Sparrow-like, quality.



 

13/01/2019 Day 3/3 Snettisham to Titchwell

Sunday 13 January 2019

Snettisham

On our way to Snettisham, we called in to the area around Choseley drying barns, looking for farmland birds. 

• A couple of Yellowhammers was the best we could do here.
• The highlight of our visit to Snettisham was undoubtedly the 'redhead' Smew on the pit north of the causeway.  It looked glorious as it swam around in the water.

courtesy of Marcus Nash

• Also showing well was a small group of Goldeneye, nearly all of which were drakes.

courtesy of Marcus Nash



• We had a walk round to where the Short-eared Owl had been roosting but there was no sign of it.  Perhaps the noise from the  building work on the foundations for the new hide had disturbed the owl and it had moved on.

 

Thornham Harbour

We headed for Thornham Harbour next.

• It didn't take long to locate the 14 or so Twite in the dead vegetation close to the car park.  They flew off and around the harbour several times but always returned to the same spot.

courtesy of Marcus Nash



 

Titchwell

• At lunch at the tables, in the visitor's centre at Titchwell, we had great views of a Brambling at the feeders.

courtesy of Marcus Nash



• As we moved on to the reserve we saw 2 Water Rails in the ditches, one on each side of the path.

courtesy of Marcus Nash



• From the Parrinder hide, Marcus spotted the Water Pipit on one of the islands and we enjoyed good views of it as it moved around in the cut vegetation.
• Out on the beach we found 3 female Eiders on the edge of the water.  As well as the usual shorebirds there were 3 distant Little Gulls

We finished the day, and our visit, with a spectacular roost watch from the Parrinder Hide.  The harriers were taking advantage of the windy conditions and flying all over the place. 

• At times there were over 40 Marsh Harriers in the air at the same time with a couple of 'ringtail' Hen Harriers in the area as well.

 

Another full day with some spectacular birding!

This trip was right up there with the very best - thanks Marcus!

 

 

 

 

 

Other species added to 2019 Year List: 

Greenshank

Black-tailed Godwit

Bar-tailed Godwit

Little Grebe

Yellowhammer

Pintail



 



12/01/2019 In and around Wells-next-the-Sea Day 2/3

Saturday 12 January 2019
Norfolk Day 2/3

There were only 5 of us, plus Marcus, for today's birding in the Wells area.  Conditions were dry and mild again but by now the wind was significant and would hinder us at times during the day.  Nevertheless we had another superb day with some excellent birding.

Holkham was our first port of call.

• We were lucky enough to get there before the Pink-footed Geese left for the cropped sugar beet fields.
  

Soon we were on the beach and walking east.

• An area of beach had been cordoned off to protect the Shorelarks but the birds had other ideas and moved to the nearby vegetated area which had not been cordoned off.  Alas the vegetation was quite tall, so it was difficult to see the Shorelarks.  With a little patience we eventually got great views as they moved around.  

courtesy of Marcus Nash

 

• A little further along the beach we saw the Snow Buntings, some 22 in all, moving along the edge of the water.  No problems with tall vegetation this time as we enjoyed brilliant views.

courtesy of Marcus Nash
 



• On the sea, we saw a Common Scoter and a Red-breasted Merganser and a couple of Red-throated Divers flew by.

• On the way back to the car, the highlight was a covey of Grey Partridge feeding on the edge of the nearest field - less than 20 metres away!

  

  courtesy of Marcus Nash

We tried to see some Little Owls in the Holt area but we were unsuccessful - almost certainly due to the windy conditions.
  


Next stop was Cley, starting at the beach car park.

• This time there were hundreds of Common Scoter flying to and fro, with several Velvet Scoters among them. 
• There was also at least 2 Red-throated Divers on the sea and a Guillemot.

We next headed east to Sherringham looking for the elusive Glaucous Gull.

• There was no sign of the gull but we did spot a Purple Sandpiper on the rocks by the tide line.

courtesy of Marcus Nash

Finally we headed inland to look for Barn Owls and Tawny Owls. 

• We waited by the Owl box until a Barn Owl appeared.  It stayed on the platform for several minutes before starting hunting.  We had excellent views as it foraged in the meadow.



courtesy of Marcus Nash

courtesy of Marcus Nash

 

• In an ivy - covered tree in the car park, a Tawny Owl was known to roost and while we were watching the Barn Owl it was heard "hooting".  When we got back to the car park the hooting had stopped but shortly afterwards the bird was seen briefly as it flew out of the tree to a nearby tree before disappearing.

By now it was getting very dark so we made the short journey back to our B&B, fully satisfied with our day 2 adventure.

Roll on tomorrow!

Other species added to 2019 Year List:
Guillemot
Avocet

11/01/2019 Day 1/3 A Fabulous Start!

Friday 11 January 2019
Norfolk Day 1/3

We got off to a fabulous start to our trip. 6 of us spent the day with Marcus in the Norfolk Broads where we saw some amazing birds.  The weather was cold and overcast but there was only a light breeze. 

First stop was Lodham.

• On the outskirts of the village we came across a large, mixed flock of Bewick and Whooper Swans with about equal proportions of each species. The views were superb and for ID purposes it was ideal with both types of swan showing side by side.



courtesy of Marcus Nash

• At a different outskirts location we had our first Crane sightings of the day with 8 showing really well in the scope as they moved around in the field in front of some scrub.

courtesy of Marcus Nash

• From our roadside viewing position we were entertained by flocks of Linnet and flocks of Greenfinch dropping into the edges of the field.  This was the first time I had seen Greenfinches moving around in such a large group like this.

• At Cantley we came across a few Taiga Bean Geese …….

Taiga Bean Geese

courtesy of Marcus Nash

 

 

 

…… and later on at Thrigby we came across the Tundra Bean Geese.

 

Tundra Bean Geese
courtesy of Marcus Nash



• We ended the day at Stubb Mill where we were immediately directed to a Merlin perched on top of a post away in the distance.  There were, of course numerous Marsh Harriers around but we did not see any Hen Harriers.  We added 7 more Cranes to our total for the day when they flew in to roost, looking superb as they silhouetted against what little light was left of the day.



courtesy of Marcus Nash



 

• When a Woodcock whizzed by, a few feet in front of us, we knew it was time to go.  On the long return journey to our B&B in Wells-next-the-Sea we saw a Barn Owl flying.

Roll on tomorrow and more terrific birding!

Other species added to 2019 Year List:

Canada Goose

Rook

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Marsh Tit

Treecreeper

Teal

 Pied Wagtail

Stock Dove

Common Gull

Long-tailed Tit

Fieldfare

Egyptian Goose

Red Kite

Pink-footed Goose

Lesser Redpoll

Ruff



10/01/2019 Stiffkey at Dusk

Thursday 10 January 2019
Stiffkey, Norfolk

I travelled up to Norfolk today, ready to join Marcus tomorrow for our first tour of the year.  I just about had enough time to observe the roost at Stiffkey before going to the B&B.

• A Peregrine was sitting on top of a distant post for the duration of my stay.
• The highlight of the visit was watching a Barn Owl fly by us going from W to E, hogging the Coastal Path and giving us stunning views.

I was just too late to see any of the Harriers that were around.

A nice prelude of things to come - I hope!

09/01/2019 Back to Pevensey Levels for Hen Harrier and Short-eared Owls.

Wednesday 9 January 2019
Horse Eye Level
East Sussex

I went back to the Pevensey Levels with Shaun, Bob and Sara.  I wanted to show them some of the wonderful birds I had seen last week. 

Unfortunately the area was the focus for a hunt using dogs.  Nevertheless the bids did show eventually, if somewhat further away than normal and not flying as much as before.

• The ringtail Hen Harrier showed first and gave us some excellent views over a substantial amount of time.
• At least 2 and probably 3 Short-eared Owls appeared after the hunting party left and we enjoyed good, if distant, views of them in flight and when they were perched on posts/mounds.

 

Pleased to share my birding joy with family and friends!

08/01/2019 Ring-necked Duck at West Rise Marsh

Tuesday 8 January 2019

• I arrived early for work at Weir Wood Reservoir  (Tuesday is voluntary conservation work day)  so that I could get some birdwatching in before the 09.30 start time.  I had a target list of 6 birds for the 2019 year list but incredibly I managed to see none of them.!

• As I was driving home I received a text from Alastair and another from Matt about a Ring-necked Duck at West Rise Marsh.  After a rushed lunch I headed down to the outskirts of Eastbourne to the site in question.  I walked to the far side of the lake to view the ducks with the sun behind me.  After a while I spotted the likely suspect.  Soon Gareth and Bridget arrived and confirmed my sighting.

 

courtesy of Gareth James



courtesy of Gareth James





• As well as the Ring-necked Duck I added Canada Goose to my year list today.

• Not a bad day - finally!
• Thanks to Alastair, Matt and Gareth -  I'm so lucky to have 3 of the finest young birders in Sussex looking after my interests.

07/01/2019 Cattle Egret at RSPB Dungeness

Monday 7 January 2019

• A very late trip to Kent was just sufficient for me to find my target species - Cattle Egret in the paddocks near Boulderwall Farm.
• Added 6 more species to my 2019 list:-

                                                   Pochard
                                                   Gadwall
                                                   Tufted Duck
                                                   Shoveler
                                                   Barnacle Goose
                                                   Coot



73 species in the first week is a fair reward for my time - the Owls and the Hen Harriers being the highlights.

06/01/2019. 3 Green Woodpeckers

• While walking the dogs in the fields near the Millennium Green I saw my first Green Woodpecker of the year.  Soon after, in another field, there were 2 more.

• Also added to my year list, from the same walk were:-

           Bullfinch

           Dunnock

           Jay

Not bad for a local walk with the dogs!

05/01/2019 With the East Grinstead RSPB Group on Isle of Sheppey

Saturday 5 January 2019
East Grinstead RSPB Local Group
Shellness Nature Reserve, Harty Ferry and Capel Fleet 

12 of us made it to a very cold Isle of Sheppey and enjoyed a good birding event.  In all we managed 51 species for the day.  Pick of the sightings for me was the Hen Harrier. 

• I arrived an hour before the scheduled start specifically to look for this bird and I was rewarded immediately with a great view of a ringtail flying over the fields to the east of the dyke by the car park.  There was another couple of sightings, maybe of the same bird, at the end of the day at Capel Fleet.
• The Short-eared Owls showed well at the start of the day in the Shellness NR and another one showed up at Capel Fleet at the end of the day.
• I saw a few White-fronted Geese early on but they were not present when I went back at lunchtime.
• The usual shore birds were seen up close on the high tide.  Pick of these were Grey Plover, Knot, Turnstone, Sanderling, Black-tailed Godwit, Oystercatcher, Brent Goose, Great Crested Grebe, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Redshank and Shelduck.
• Other birds for my year list were Chaffinch, Corn Bunting, Curlew, Golden Plover, Meadow Pipit, Red-legged Partridge, Reed Bunting, Skylark and Wigeon.

A really good day out in good company and my best haul of birds so far in 2019!

04/01 2019 No Hen Harriers again!

It was deja vu today - a good show from the Short-eared Owls and the Marsh Harriers, Snipe etc at Pevensey Levels but no success with the Hen Harrier.

• Earlier, while walking the dogs near my home, I had superb views of my first Sparrowhawk of 2019 when one flew high over Uckfield Community Hospital. 
• I also saw my first Black-headed Gull of the year on the pond near my house - a very unusual visitor! 

Another excellent birding experience even if the star of the show went AWOL!

03/01 2019 No Hen Harriers again!

Thursday 3 January 2019
Pevensey Levels

For the third day in succession I could not find the Hen Harrier at Horse Eye. 

• The Short-eared Owls put on their best show yet with at least 5 showing well for the full 2 hours I was there.

• It was nice to bump into Andrew and, thanks to his sharp eyes, I was able to see my first Little Egret and Snipe of the year.   On the way back to the car we heard a Water Rail in the reeds.

A lovely couple of hours!

02/01/2019 Day 2 and more Short-eared Owls

Wednesday 2 January 2019
Pevensey Levels, Sussex

• Added Pheasant, Coal Tit and Wren to my year list after walking the dogs this morning.

After lunch, I headed down to Pevensey Levels again.

• No sign of the Hen Harrier - my second successive "dip"
• 3 Short-eared Owls turned up this evening.
• I saw my first Marsh Harrier, Stonechats and Greylag Geese of the year.

01/01/2019 A pleasant start to 2019: Short-eared Owls, Great White Egret and Siskin

New Year's Day 2019

A quiet start to the year, watching birds in Uckfield in the morning before heading down to Pevensey Levels mid afternoon.  27 species were seen, including a couple of really special ones.

 

Uckfield

• I woke up to the sound of Starlings and Collared Doves.
• The first bird I saw was, surprisingly, a Grey Heron which flew from a neighbours garden.
• At the garden feeders we saw our regular birds - Goldfinches, House Sparrows, and Blue Tits.  We also had a surprise visitor when a male Siskin popped in; we normally don't see these until the weather gets much colder.
• In the garden were Blackbirds and a Robin.

Around 10.30 I took the dogs for their daily walk through the nearby woods and then into the fields by the hospital.  I was able to add even more birds to my count for the day.

• The Starlings were in their usual place, atop the tall trees near our house.
• As usual I saw Carrion Crows, Magpies and Jackdaws.
• The woods were alive with bird sound, most obviously with Song Thrushes, Great Tits, and Great Spotted Woodpeckers.
• Herring Gulls and Woodpigeons  passed overhead as we wandered through the fields. 
• As we passed the pond, adjacent to the house, we paid due respect to the resident Mallards.

After lunch I headed down to Pevensey Levels to look for Hen Harriers and Short-eared Owls.

The first new bird I saw was a Buzzard which was perched on a post 100m from me.
A huge flock of Lapwings was seen high above us.
A Cormorant flew by the first of several seen today.
A noisy Cetti's Warbler was nearby but, of course, did not put in an appearance.
The Great White Egret that had been seen by several birders finally put in an appearance.
A Kestrel was seen several times, in the air and on top of a bush.
5 Moorhens were seen.
Finally the Owls turned up - 5 Short-eared versions and put on a terrific show lasting over 30 minutes.

• A balanced start to 2019 with time spent at home, walking the dogs and birding. 
• Happy New Year everyone!