Saturday 25 July 2020

Home - 25.7.20

I'd just got in from putting the washing out and when I was closing the back door a Hobby zoomed over the garden in hot pursuit of a Swift.

More Crossbills - 24.7.20

At 8.20 am a single Crossbill flew North over Cassiobury Park followed 15 minutes later with 4 flying SW over Knutsford Rec.

Halsey Fields - 17.7.20

During a local moth event I briefly heard a Tawny Owl calling. This was species 167 for the year.

Another Mega Dip - 4.7.20

Long-eared Owl

Gannet

Razorbill

Puffin

The Cliffs!

After the Desert Warbler dip it would've been nice for the next twitch to be successful but unfortunately it wasn't to be. A Black-browed Albatross had been seen hanging around Bempton Cliffs RSPB reserve in East Yorkshire and some amazingly gripping photos appeared online as it flew over the cliffs at eye level so myself and the Moreton brothers headed up. It'd disappeared the day before around 11am and hadn't been seen again so we weren't feeling too optimistic and so it proved with no sign all day. There were however some year ticks to be had.

The first was the strange sight of a Tree Sparrow feeding on seed heads on the cliff itself! Kittiwake, Puffin and Fulmar were noted and I finally ticked a lone Sand Martin for 2020. The best bird of the day was a Long-eared Owl which sat on a fence post for over 5 minutes affording decent views.

Fingers crossed for actually connecting on the next twitch!