A short owl effect

I spent a quick three hours at West Hartford on Saturday evening, viewing from 18:00 to almost 21:00. Not much activity on the pool - only BH/LBB/HG and 1 C gull plus two mallard... In the fields one grasshopper warbler continued to reel, particularly as the evening drew on. Two whitethroat were feeding near the small brick building and reed bunting were a plenty.

Highlight of the watch (and probably the reason why I did not venture back home sooner) was the unseasonal appearance of a short-eared owl. My first July record of this species at WH. The owl appeared at 19:55 and promptly caught a vole sp. It then proceeded to sit on a distant fence post for the next fifty minutes - blowing any photo opportunities as the sun finally set (that's a photo from earlier this year to the left of this paragraph).

I headed back home along the A192 only to have to slow the car right down as a fox lazily trotted across the carriageway... a nice end to a pleasant few hours relaxed birding!

Two visits to St Mary's

Late Sunday afternoon news of a singing marsh warbler had me heading to SMI after tea, and sure enough after a 45 minute wait or so the marsh warbler began to sing. Then stop. Then nothing for a bit. Then sing again, maybe a bit to the left from last time. And that was about it, one brief "flick" between bushes and that was our lot. Not much mimicry, a brief burst of blue tit and a few "chacks". Not the best.




So, after an early shift and news that the bird was still present, Monday afternoon was spent looking into the same bushes and willows. No luck today, although others present had had heard and seen the bird earlier...


A pair of whitethroat (female featured here) were actively feeding young, the occasional willow warbler sang and and a sedge warbler chipped in for a short while too. Not much else though!