Lockdown Listing part Two

So we started another national lockdown yesterday and with that comes isolation. No visits to or from our grandson although technically I can still meet him in a park with my son and with my wife being disabled I could technically take her to meet him in the park but it's cold and my wife won't tolerate too much time in the outdoors at this time of year. My mother in law in the care home is also isolated and can have no visitors which my wife is and will continue to find difficult. (this rule was brought in as we moved to Tier two and as yet remains) My father in law is in isolation following surgery and I've been visiting my parents and staying in the garden but it's now too cold for that and under new lockdown rules its no longer allowed anyway but I could meet with one of them in a park.

That's the family impact but now as for birding in lockdown two the rules allow for a little more flexibility this time around with driving a reasonable distance to get your exercise now permitted where as before we were asked to walk from home and only allowed an hour a day.  I will be able to add some variety to my walks without breaking the spirit of lockdown and as such I started yesterday three miles from home at Gunpowder Park where a couple of Short-eared Owls have been seen over the last week or so. I arrived at 2pm and had a good walk around the area picking up a few decent birds for the area on route. A female Yellowhammer, a pair of Stonechats, a flock of Long-tailed Tits and eventually at around 3.30pm the two Short-eared Owls got up and hunted until dusk. The local Corvid roost was both large and vocal as were the constant groups of Parakeets as they flew over to roost. 

Short-eared Owl at Dusk

Shortie

I also had a Greater-spotted Woodpecker on the feeders at home and for the first time ever the Parakeets have dropped onto the feeders and I'm not sure how I feel about that but a nice start to Lockdown two where my day one list is 35 species.

Year list still 268