Sunday 24th February

My good streak of birdwatching luck has continued.

Short-eared owl

On Friday I travelled to Prestwick Carr reserve in search of short-eared owls, arriving about an hour or so before dusk in unseasonably mild weather.

Setting out to the birdwatching platform, I was hardly a third of the way there when my target for the evening, a short-eared owl appeared, quartering the moorland to my left and broadly heading in the direction I had come from.

I nevertheless continued towards the platform, which was technically the right thing to do as that is the area where they mainly get seen.  On this occasion however, there was no further sign and I had to count myself fortunate to get some sort of a shot of it in flight as it was only in view for two or three minutes.

Willow tits

Visiting the platform had an extra dividend in that there was a male reed bunting and a series of tits, including a couple of willow tits, visiting the feeders put out next to the path.

I met a regular visitor to the Carr who also picked up a few deer and a fox in his binoculars at distance.  I couldn't see them in mine, adding to my suspicion that I might need an even better pair.

In the garden the other morning there was a bit of a fight between two male blackbirds and straight after a set-to between two robins on the bird table.  Clearly, spring is with us early.