With a couple of days heavy rain and strong winds I thought yesterdays calmer dryer weather might help bring out a couple of hungry Short-eared Owls at Wallasea Island so with nothing else on the agenda I packed the camera in the car and headed down the Southend road arriving around 1.15pm.
With only two other birders out on the reserve things were quiet for a few minutes but then up came the first Owl and it spent about five minutes hunting along the sea wall before flying out onto the reserve to hunt in front of the new viewing screen where we were standing.
Over the course of the next two hours I saw at least five Short-eared Owls, two ringtail Hen Harriers, a pair of Marsh Harriers, two Great Egrets a Sparrowhawk and dozens of Corn Bunting to make it another top afternoon birding in Essex.
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| What a bird |
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| eyes fixed on the prize |
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| Fab encounter again |
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| Found him on the ground as I drove out in the fading daylight |
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| Always a nice bonus to have Hen and Marsh Harriers about too (the pheasant has the right idea) |
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| Two Great Egrets flanking a Little Egret in the distance |
Year list stuck at 302 but there's a Black-throated Thrush in Bedfordshire so fingers crossed!
Fabulous in flight shots. I do love owls. Have a good day, Diane
ReplyDeletethanks Diane and as you can see they are a favourite of mine too.
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