Owl Fest

I had a wander around the Obs this morning under cloudy skies with a 10 - 15 mph southeasterly wind. In recent weeks I have been enjoying the spectacle of a couple of Barn Owls hunting for a while after first light, but this morning there was a few more than two! Straight away I picked up two birds hunting over the farmland and then I noticed a third bird as it was quite different with completely white secondaries, primaries and tail. Excellent; three Barn Owls! I whizzed a text to Ian to let him know and then within two minutes I was texting him again to say there were four. A text back from Ian said "amazing" and I had to text him again to say sorry there were five! Five Barn Owls; a record number for the Obs!

 Barn Owl

It was nearly three species of Owl this morning but the Little Owl wasn't in residence, but I did flush a Short-eared Owl from some long grass! In fact Ian had a further three Short-eared Owls later on so there were five Barn Owls and four Short-eared Owls at the Obs this morning!

 Short-eared Owl

I did my usual circuit and added three Kestrels to the raptor tally, but nothing else. As usual 'Pinkies' were arriving from the river shortly after first light and 645 dropped in.

There was some vis this morning, mainly in the form of high flying continental Chaffinches. I kept hearing Chaffinch calls and sometimes I wouldn't be able to see anything they were so high and at other times I would be able to pick birds out in the stratosphere! My vis totals were nine Meadow Pipits, 48 Chaffinches (massive under count), a Collared Dove, a Fieldfare, two Bramblings, a Rock Pipit, two Reed Buntings, five Starlings and three Alba Wags.

The only obviously grounded migrants this morning were two Song Thrushes and a Goldcrest. The sea was quiet with just eleven Common Scoters, but I did have a female/immature Long-tailed Duck head south with five Common Scoters.

The forecast looks okay for some ringing in the morning so I'll give it a go and see what I get.