Twice as Dippy

Yesterday's day off shrunk by half due to the need to get everything done beforehand and progress being stifled by colleagues.  Nonetheless, the afternoon's patch trip was invigorated by not one but two Dippers on the Blyth near Plessey Woods.  Look likely that last year's nest site will be used again from what I saw.

West Hartford got its all-too-common complacent reaction when, as ever, as soon as I got out of the car there was a SEO over the field north of the Fire Station (as there was at Arcot this morning in the field south of the lake).  Sometimes' Birding Tours are doing well, as yesterday, 'himself' and three others (who, together, looked a formidable 'gang'; like the auditions for West Side Story!!) arrived ready for a Jack Snipe safari.

The Snowy Owl bird table was Tree Sparrow-less, but was busy with Coal, Blue and Great Tits, Dunnock, Green and Chaffinch, Jackdaw, Woody and Goldcrest.

Elsewhere, all's quiet; except for Chiffchaffs that are everywhere!

More of the same

Stroll down Beacon Lane this afternoon had the heart a flutter as an Asio owl was low in a hawthorn 'plantation' where LEOs were last year.  Les Dennis determined it was an SEO that was then chased off by two Crows high and SW:

Continuing on foot south and two very likely lads with an iffy motorcycle walked north and asked about my big camera (scope).  Never judge a book by its cover, as when they realised I liked to watch birds, they told me of a strange bird with slow wings and a look at the camera's screen confirmed they had seen the same SEO.

Onwards and upwards, and next was a man on a racing pedal bike who asked me about an owl that had followed him along Arcot Lane.  Same photo, same response, and the bird was by now quartering the NE field.

To put off the gentlemen that frequent the SE field for non-ornitholgical reasons, there are now nine Highland Cows there, complementing the three Dartmoor Ponies in the NE field (although the cows are far more fearsome).

And whilst walking back, the SEO was in a sapling in the NE field.  Using two cameras, why can I not get just one snap that accurately reflects what I see through the scope!!!

Just Glorious

06:30 today - West Hartford in all its glory in the bright sunshine.  Three Greylags on the water with a pair of Gadwall and these five had arrived since yesterday afternoon when a wellie-boot walk around the south side of the main pool yielded at least one Jack Snipe.

And this morning, two Common Buzzards through east, mobbed by one of the three SEOs.  At least three Reed Buntings, and on the water, Teal and gulls (BH/C/H).

Arcot was its usual self, the highlight was one SEO in SE field.