Ruffled feathers

or a female Pheasant having a real good shake

 

 

 

and back to normal

 

Spring in the woods

Teggs Nose CP should get me a few year birds, so an hour before work with hope of seeing Blackcap, Pied Flycatcher and Common Redstart..... thankfully they all obliged.

A male Blackcap was singing as I arrived at the small car park, too high up and silhouetted to make any attempt at an  image.

Not too long after I could hear the call of a Pied Flycatcher. Sure enough just a single male.

 

and right on cue the Common Redstart

 

Plenty of Willow warblers and Chiffchaffs also., while a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers mated.

Short Eared Owl

I spent an hour on Sunday afternoon on the moorlands looking for Wheatear and Ring Ouzel, I quickly found Wheatear.. a few on show with probably plenty more out of sight.

 

 

 

As the weather closed in I decided to call it a day. While walking back to the car, overhead a Gull attacked something in the distance, it took me a few moments to locate it and bingo....

 

Short Eared Owl

 

 

very early afternoon seemed too early for it to be out hunting.

Maybe it had only just arrived back on territory?

 

Soon it was up in the air and flying towards me...

 

 

 

then it was joined by another two and they spent a few minutes displaying to each other

 

 

 

before landing for just a few seconds 

 

and then off out of sight

 

 

A bright sight on a rainy afternoon!

One morning and Two ticks

It was nice to get two new birds this week. well actually on the same morning and about 500yrds apart. Life, UK, County and year ticks all in the bag with an American Wigeon and a Water Pipit.

The Water Pipit ensured that it would be fairly easy in as much as it has been seen on a daily basis for a week or two, however when I arrived it took an hour for it to show itself..... lucky for me that I gave myself those extra 5 minutes.

Water Pipit - Neston Sewage works

 

a few hundred yards away on a distant pool was my second lifer of the morning, this time way too far off for images, although I did try! American Wigeon at Denhall Quay, Neston.