The last time I saw a Little Owl was in March 2022 so I decided I'd take advantage of some free time and head out to Watford where I know a Little Owl location. I started the day at Lemsford hoping yesterdays Jack Snipe would put in another appearance but with news that it was flushed by somebody walking in front of the hide I left having given it enough of my valuable free time today. The bird wasn't seen at all today so I guess it was right to move on early and leave this year tick for another day.
A quick stop at the road from Baldock to Wallington gave us two year ticks with Corn Bunting and Grey Partridge. A Merlin sat in a distant field and a Red Kite sat on the telegraph pole whilst Fieldfares fed in the hedge by the road.
Our last stop was the park in Watford where we'd previously seen Little Owl. We scanned the birds favoured trees and eventually found it roosting high up hidden in amongst the trees bark. As we watched it was bothered first by a fly then a Squirrel and eventually woke and flew lower down the tree and then lower again before finally chosing its roost branch at eye level. It looked around at the three of us and settled down to sleep. A real treat and an experience I won't forget in a long time.
The year list is now 149
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