Owls, Mega Scoter and the like.

Given it's still "only" February, the birding pace is still rather decent. Despite work commitments and the like.

Friday evening was spent stood in a damp field as the sunset - the quarry, Barn Owl, finally achieved in much darkness over the fields at West Hartford.

Saturday saw another delayed-duck mission - with a trip to Cheswick for the drake Black Scoter. I'm guessing this is the bird that was off Stag Rocks a few years back - a mega in it's own rights and a class county catch up for Mark. The bird was distant, so the footage below, taken through the scope on 70x magnification and the iphone on full digital zoom is amusing, if anything.

Heres the link to the 2011 bird... http://birdingsometimes.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/black-scoter-stag-rocks-record-shots.html

Image from 2011 - off Stag Rocks

In addition, loads of Long-tailed Duck present at perhaps 4 Great Northern Diver.

Further south at Stag Rocks, more Common Scoter, approximately 11 Slavonian Grebe, Red-throated Divers and more Long-tailed Duck.

An attempt at Ross's Goose was unsuccessful, but plenty of Pink-feet at Stobswood.