UKC

A few from this week. The barn owl was this evening, with a low and bright sun. And a flock of Goosanders. 
 

Nice.  Still to see a barn owl myself.

However, I was lucky with two first sightings at the weekend.

My first Avocet on Saturday at Guardbridge!  It was at a distance, hiding in plain sight, such that I only realised when I looked at a photo I had taken of a group of birds roosting!! Only a poor record shot, but still! Saw it better an hour later just before it got a scare, over 100 Redshanks took to the air for some reason, and it took flight at the same time as they did and went out of sight.

The second first for me at weekend was the Surf Scoter, male, at Methil (with the help of another who had located it and let me use his scope to view); no photo - it dived as I was watching and never seen again.

My local barn owls amuse themselves by annoying me. There is some scrub/regenerating land near me and:

Cycling across it without camera I have had them basically doing loop the loops round me.

Gone for a run without camera and they have come close.

Walking across it during a "walking work meeting" without a good camera and they have hung around just at the range the phone camera acts up.

Gone for a walk with my good camera with decent lens at the same time on multiple occasions and the sods arent to be seen.

Most likely the same surf scoter that I saw the other weekend. Stunning bird. As are avocets. Interestingly, the first avocets I ever saw were at Gruardbridge, and possibly the last time they were there (20 ish years ago).  There’s loads now in some parts of Lancahsire, and a flock of 250 last Marching one area. 

Suburban London. Comma Tuesday, Brimstone Wednesday. Greater Spotted Woodpecker(s?) around in last few days.

That is so often the way. Unfortunately.

Hmm, one male Goosander herding his hareem?

And I see your local Tawny owls are nesting in the same spot. Found a long-tailed tits nest under construction yesterday, I'll keep an eye on it but it's next to a rather public location so might not work out for them.

And, last Sunday I finally, finally got a good enough view of a Merlin to be able to identify it as a male. Sat on a post for maybe half an hour at Leighton Moss - visible at distance but very clear in my scope - from the 2 hides facing the sea.

You must be pretty much at the northern tip of Avocet breeding range. Down here they're pretty easy to see - like so many that you just get blasé about seeing them - at several places within an hour's drive (of Manchester).

But funnily, they're pretty scarce down in Cornwall as well.

Think there is only one pair of surf scoters about (though the female seems to be only found by the experts) and it is further along the coast now at Buckhaven.

Another birder said an Avocet visited 2 or 3 years ago, and was an occasional visitor. Can’t imagine I’ll get a good photo with only about; still at least I’ve seen one.

Don’t think they will breed up here. According to local birders only one is seen in occasional visits.

Not uncommon I guess. I often see birds of prey far closer when I’m in the car than when walking. In fact I’ve only ever seen Merlin whilst in the car!! No photos possible when driving so I’ve none of Merlin 😢! 

I think I should point out that it was the Merlin sitting on a post, not me 😁

hehehe, yep thought so.

But you sit on posts too, right.

OK, maybe not the skinny ones.