Not on my patch

After a pleasant but uneventful count on Saturday morning I headed up the coast calling in at East Chevington on the off chance of a Bittern or two. Fat chance, but the time was well spent watching a Short eared Owl hunt in circuits around the north pool. It eventually dropped down from view into a grass field and I headed back up the path from the hide to the road. On passing the top gate there was the owl twenty yards down the fence line basking in the autumn sun. It needed to as the wind was perishing.

I was joined by two others, both battling with camera equipment but the bird was quite unconcerned at our presence and had the good nature to wait till all problems were resolved and shots taken before flying off south.

Then on to Cresswell where the Jack Snipe bobbed up and down as did Sam, John and John. As we all watched a Barn Owl hunted the dunes before losing its first prey to a Kestrel, up to 200 Curlew came in to roost on the pond and a thousand or so Starlings did the same in the adjacent reed bed. Videos will no doubt be published.