The first part of the journey I was looking for signs of life, it was very quiet just a few Blue Tits around the car park. Passing through the gate and away to the left the fields were flooded and o the water were lots of wildfowl and gulls, scanning through them the majority were Wigeon but there were good numbers also of Pintail and Teal. Finally though I managed to find a couple of Black-tailed Godwits, why has it taken so long this year?
The first stop though was under the power line to scan across the field to the split tree. The sun was out and true to form the Barn Owl was in prime position with eyes firmly closed.
Cropping in a little closer
Back home I started to play with what is a simple photograph given the lack of activity from the owl. Here the scene in black and white.
And the same again this time still in colour
I don't think the black and white image provides any benefit.
We left the Barn Owl to enjoy the sunshine and headed down past Posbrook Floods, the water levels higher than I had seen for a long time. Again on the floods were hundreds of Canada Geese, Wigeon, Pintail, Shoveler and Teal while Black-headed Gulls wheeled around above the water dipping in to pick up maybe insects.
After the floods the path became muddy but still retained some of the overnight frost, but gradually this became gloopy, thank goodness for the robust wellies.
A Stonechat on one of the posts in the fields.
The rest of the walk to the shore was quiet, by that I mean from seeing birds but there was plenty of song. A Song Thrush in full voice, the "teacher teacher" calls of a Great Tit usually heard when the sun is out, and of course the song of the Robin. I searched vainly for anything on a post at the back of the fields but with little luck, there was no sign of the Water Pipits in the field with the fence but a buck Roe Deer was sleeping by the hedge in the sunshine.
On reaching the shore we sat on the sea wall and enjoyed a coffee and muffin. Out on the sea I picked out two Great-crested Grebes, but nothing else, mind you the tide was a long way out and there were plenty of walkers and dogs running around scaring the Oystercatchers.
A walk to the harbour failed to find anything other than Turnstones and a Little Grebe from the bridge. I had hoped to show Helen the Kingfisher but it wasn't showing at all.
We set off back along the canal path inver similar conditions but without the low sun blinding us as we walked. A pair of Buzzards circled above the trees.
As they soared they crossed over each other.
A little further along the path another Buzzard sat in a tree, it could have been one of those that had soared above us earlier.
At Posbrook floods the different aspect and with the sun behind us I was able to pick out at least three snipe alongside the bullrushes.
The flooded fields were still covered in Wigeon.
As our walk was coming to an end we stopped once again to view the split tree. At first there was no sign of the Bran Owl, then it appeared.
And it became clear why. A grey squirrel was climbing the trunk of the tree and the owl must have heard it. The squirrel stopped climbing as the Barn Owl appeared and there was a stand off with the owl twisting it's head to get the best possible view of the squirrel.
Apparently according to a couple who were watching this at the same time, the squirrel has entered the hole before but left very quickly, perhaps today it was just trying its luck again. Another fact on Saturday there were two Barn Owls reported to be in the hole. I would just like to see it hunting.
No comments:
Post a Comment