Monday 20 July 2015

Barn Owl At Last

I have hardly been out this week except for Tuesday evening when I saw the barn owl out over the back fields near the sub station at Seasalter, a year tick for me.

Sat. 18th
I had a short look over SS which looked quiet except for a buzzard so I continued onto Oare seeing the curlew sandpipers, Bonaparte's gull and a little stint plus all the regulars.

Sun. 19th

Back down to Seasalter Lane finding a couple of sand martins, two house martins and swallows plus Geoff Burton, who is now becoming a regular sighting! At the levels, 2 stonechats a few whitethroats, reed bunting and linnets plus a lovely view of a grasshopper warbler through Geoff's scope who heard it and located it in a bush. I could see it buzzing away but not one 'note' came to my ear, a big advantage to have hearing! However, I did pick up a raven honking away as it flew across the plots westwards. 
Back at the seashore the tide was coming in, curlew were streaming westwards to their roost plus 7 whimbrel were down on the flats and later another 2 flew west.

Mon. 20th

Rather mizzly this morning but I saw 32 sand martins in the reeds along SS Lane plus a few swallows flying about. A stop by the Ski Club produced a Med gull flying along the beach eastwards and the rook made another appearance (not common here) near the toilet block. On the plots a total of 7 stonechats, several whitethroats and reed buntings plus one chiffchaff. Back at the seafront c.250 black-tailed godwits, good to see again and my first 2 returning bar-tailed godwits, 12 egrets, 1 whimbrel, 4 g.c.grebes, curlew but no turnstones yet!

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