Thursday 1 January 2009

New Years Day Birding

I have started a year list for the first time of birds we see this year. I have no idea if we will reach 60 birds or 100 or more. It will be a benchmark for future years but as we do not pursue rarities across the country will we soon get stuck?

A good day's touring the lanes in the car, no Great Grey Shrike in Wykeham Forest but after a few every day species we had Bullfinch, and then Barn Owl quickly followed by Kestrel and Common Buzzard. Oh, and a Stoat then ran across the road and disappeared in a ditch, the second Stoat of the day.

The highlight was the Barn Owl, we had terrific views from the car of a bird in a tree, it then flew off down the lane and wee later followed. I pulled the car up at the side of a ditch and entirely by luck the same Owl was at the side of the car looking closely at us 10' away. No chance for photographs but what a view!

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