Friday 29th June 2012 Nightjars & Owls

This evenings session started with an overviews of Barn owl, Tawny Owl & Little Owl, plus the opportunity to examine the contents of an owl pellet. Then I was able to show the group (rather sadly!) a recently deceased Tawny Owl - this was one of our recently fledged youngsters that had clearly starved, & was perhaps the runt of the nest. 


The evenings birding was made a little  more difficult by a blustery wind, however we still saw all the target species - some rather more easily than others!


My first Barn owl location was for the first time unproductive, but another location provided  lovely views of a Barn owl  perched on a post out of the wind against a hedgerow, it stayed sat whilst everyone had wonderful scope views. A oadside Little Owl was seen briefly by two of use, but  the nearby & recently fledged a family of Little Owls  put in an award winning performance. All four dancing up & down along a wall! 


We arrived at the heathland location around 9.30PM, but it was nearer 10Pm before the magical "churring" the first Nightjar could be heard. We hear 2-3 birds & eventually after quite a lot of effort managed to see a male & female Nightjar, plus a further male after the light had faded.


The evening finished with 2-3 Tawny Owls very close by calling, after a bit of walking & calling them we eventually had a great views in torchlight of a Tawny Owl sat above our heads.

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