Oh, it was a real tonic! For one reason and another, I haven't had much time for birdwatching for the past six years...funny how that coincides with the time we took our allotment! I hadn't realised how much I had missed it till now. I used to go birding in all weathers, every week without fail in those days.
Monika, you're so right, we are very lucky to have so many wonderful birdwatching areas around here and lots of differing habitats too. Spurn and Kilnsea have always been my favourite spot and in the days when I didn't have a car, had to use the local public transport, which took an hour and a half on a good day. We also have, Tophill Low, near Driffield, Far Ings Nature Reserve near Barton, just over the river. I also love Flamborough and Bempton Cliffs for the sea birds and Filey Dams. We had some superb migrants at Spurn over the years, some quite rare ones too. I've never been a "Twitcher" though, if there is a rarity where I am heading for, I'll look for it but I've never gone out of my way to "twitch".
Nature's Babe. I love Barn Owls..well all owls, to be honest. Short Eared Owls are also diurnal and these are about on this little reserve too, along with Little Owls. The Owls with yellow/orange eyes are the ones you are most likely to see hunting during the day, though the dark eyed Barn Owl makes an exception when it's feeding young, to it's more usual dawn/dusk forays. Green Wood peckers spend most of their time feeding on the ground, so unless it's perched, or in flight, they are a bit tricky to spot!
It was wonderful...I had 22 species on Monday and 25 yesterday...all within 2 hours, both days.
And the ironing still hasn't been done!!
Cheers.
Cheers.
