Short-eared Owl is mid May bonus

Short-eared Owl

Short-eared Owl 

Whitethroat

Shortie in flight above the pits

April Patch Challenge table

 Damselfly

 Skylark

 Reed Bunting

Goosanders on main pit

When away in Norfolk last weekend Mike Inskip reported a Ruff , Black-tailed Godwit & a Grey Plover. The Plover & Ruff were the first records of the year. The red-headed Smew made a second visit of month when arriving late in the afternoon. 

The first visit after my trip to Dorset resulted in me finding a Short-eared Owl which is one of my favourite bird. The graceful Owl was hunting the central area before landing the fields my the main pit. I managed to get a couple of record shots before the bird was mobbed by the local corvids and took cover. I did return in the evening where Mark and I had some fantastic views before the bird's hunting drew attention of the corvids again. This was the first time I'd seen a Short-eared Owl at the pits and is a welcome two pointer in the patch challenge (April table above).

Our Goosander count reached three at the weekend, a strange sighting at this time of year. Three Cuckoo's were seen down at Abbots Salford in addition to one calling on the top of migrant hill. Two Pochard remain around the main pit and we are hoping they may attempt to breed. This would be a new record for the site. 

A Common Tern briefly fished the south lagoon in front of us before moving on. There really wasn't anything else of note sadly. The winds are the varied weather seem to have stopped the flow of migrants. The Shortie certainly made the week !