TIME: 14:30 - 16:45
WEATHER: Gloomy at first, cloudbreaks in last half hour.
Did the Owl Double again!!!!!
Short-eared Owl hunting over wetland, and Barn Owl hunting over salt marsh!!!!!
Saw the Short-eared Owl first, briefly in flight and then perched on a fence post (close to a Pheasant) on the wetland for quite a while surveying the scene and engaging in vigorous preening. There's some sort-of shelter or building being constructed on the realignment bank with the breaches in them, and it was on my way back to the lagoon when I saw the Barn Owl hunting. Spectacular views through telescope given when the bird (a male) obligingly perched on a post near where that gate used to be, and I was standing near the bench you see when you first climb the bank from the main pathway. Good timing as the sun hadn't been out long!
Honestly, doing the Owl Double for the second time running (AND seeing the bird of prey listed below) put me on a massive, massive high, and this song came into my head as a result:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czq6iCC7o5A
OTHER SPECIES SEEN:
Peregrine - 1 on H-shaped metal frame on shoreline
Whooper Swan - 25 in flight northwards over reserve calling
White-Fronted Goose - 1 on lagoon with 2 hybrid Canada/Greylags
Shelduck - 30
Mallard - usuals
Goldeneye - 2 male, 5 female
Tufted Duck - 6 on reservoir
Brent Goose - 3000 on wetland, all taking off at once at one point. Impressive stuff!!
Canada Goose - usuals round reserve, 2 touting for bread near car park!
Greylag Goose - 1
Ringed Plover - 3
Curlew - 25
Redshank - 30
Oystercatcher - 3
Lapwing - 4 flying over reserve
Knot - 2
Black-headed Gull - usuals, 50/50 split regarding breeding plumage
Herring Gull - 7 calling
Common Gull - 4
Greater Black-backed Gull - 1 over Haven on way home
Magpie - 10
Rook - 7 in treetop group
Jackdaw - 4
Goldfinch - 3
Great Tit - 2
Blackbird - 5
Robin - 2
Pied Wagtail - 8
Blue Tit - 1
Greenfinch - 4, 1 'summertime call'
Wren - 1
House Sparrow - 15
Tree Sparrow - 3 on Plummers feeder
Usual Rock Doves, Woodpigeons and Collared Doves
Talking of Woodpigeons, a Sparrowhawk attacked and killed one in my garden this morning. I was startled by a loud THUMP on the kitchen window getting a glass of water, looked out and saw a huge plume of feathers flying everywhere on the patio just below the window as a male sparrowhawk was dealing the death knell to a woodpigeon. It was dragged around half-dead for a brief while and after it was fully dead, the sparrowhawk spent what must have been 15 minutes pecking away at the pigeon's neck and shoulders. All this time, I kept watch from the kitchen, and the sparrowhawk looked me in the eye about 4 times! It then flew off as next-door's cat wandered onto the patio for a smell of the fresh meat. The sparrowhawk then returned about 35 minutes later for second helpings of pigeon until the hunger was satisfied. Ten minutes later it perched on top of my bird feeders, then took flight. We've since buried the pigeon carcass and swept away the feathers...... fascinating (if slightly gory) viewing!