Playing Hide and Seek!

With sunshine all day today I was able to drive over to Reculver after work where I wanted to stake out a Barn Owl that I had seen hunting during the day at the weekend. After arriving I had an initial look for the Owl but there was no sign of it so I had a quick wander noting 12 Teal, 2 Little Grebe, 3 Little Egret, 4 Tufted Duck, 4 Pochard, 10 Gadwall, 1 Marsh Harrier, 5 Snipe, 2 Long tailed Tit,  10 Mute Swan,10 Meadow Pipit and 1 Skylark. As I was taking some shots of some Mute Swans I looked up to see the Barn Owl out hunting in the afternoon sunshine. Hoping it would follow the same pattern as the weekend I got myself into a position and waited. As normal in these situations the Owl had other ideas and kept getting mobbed by Crows and so could not go about its normal routine. As it didn't seem to be coming my way I moved position again and hid in a ditch among some reeds. Eventually after a while and sore knees and back, the Owl made a couple of passes allowing me to grab a few shots. It soon saw me and moved off further away but as I have mentioned before, there are not that many birding sights that beat a hunting Barn Owl in the sun. I still hope for much better and will make a few return visits in the next week or so if the weather allows.

Barn Owl