Eyes Lane

[John Frankland]

Late afternoon visit
Highlight was a Barn Owl hunting just before 6pm. I was parked up looking at the flood to my side and when I looked ahead, there was the Barn Owl heading straight for me towards the windscreen. When it was over the bonnet, it veered right and continued hunting down the ditch ! A very special moment.

On the flood was a distant Ringed Plover - tried to make it a LRP but was too distant. Features felt more like Ringed than LRP and I was 90% sure it was just a Ringed Plover

Other waders were Redshank 2, Oystercatcher 2 and Lapwing c50.

Also Mute Swan 1, Mallard 30, Shelduck 6, Fieldfare 10, Buzzard 1 and Kestrel 1

[John Frankland]

Early morning visit 745 to 810

Highlights:

Black-tailed Godwit 7
Pintail 4 pairs
Teal 1 pair
Peregrine 1 over
Lapwing c50
Redshank 1
Shelduck 10-15

No Ringed Plover.

[John Frankland]

Early evening visit 20/3.

Highlight was again a hunting Barn Owl from 530pm along the ditch going away from the bridge towards the flood. Fantastic views.

2 pairs of Pintail. 6 Redshank. 2 Oystercatchers. 50 Lapwing. 2-300 bh gulls including 10-15 LBB.

[tony]

hi John
was that you sat in the car next to the bridge, I came down the lane in the car and turned around there.
we also saw a barn owl about 6pm, but at the other side of the flood (possibly same bird?)

[John Frankland]

There was someone else sat in their car facing away from the flood last night so probably not me as I left before 6pm.

Likely to be the same owl though as I last saw it over the back of the flood.

[John Frankland]

Early evening visit tonight and it didn’t look too promising when I arrived.

However, a bit of careful scanning produced a 6 wader haul !

Lapwing c40
Oystercatcher 1
Redshank 3
Dunlin 1
Ringed Plover 1 (100% tonight with its AA yellow bill)
Black-tailed Godwit 7

200 gulls included a LBB. A few Shelduck and Mallard too.

And just as I was scanning round for the Barn Owl, it duly obliged by flying past me at close range giving great views again. A passing jogger said it was the second he’d seen with another earlier in Croston.

[Neville Root]

It's interesting to note that my regular lunchtime visits often return oystercatcher, redshank, lapwing, godwit, shelduck and gulls (as today and as you saw last night), but I've yet to see a lunchtime dunlin or ringed plover frequent the flood this year.

[John Frankland]

That is certainly true with the ringed plover which I’ve seen mostly on early evening visits with only one on a Saturday morning a couple of weeks ago.

Same with Dunlin which I think I’ve only had on late afternoon or evening visits.

So maybe they come in to feed more in the late afternoon.

Added a 7th wader this morning with a single Curlew with the usual Redshank and Lapwing. Also still the 7 Godwits there.

[Leonard Poxon]

Very quick visit at 4.30 to 4.45. No sign of Ringed Plover or Dunlin, but 9 Black Tailed Godwit, 3 Redshank approx 12 Lapwing, 25 BH Gulls, 1 Oystercatcher, 4 Shelduck, 6 Mallard, 2 Pied Wagtail.

[Paul Hodson]

Evening visit. 5.45-6.15.
Spent most of the time happily watching a Barn Owl patrolling the river bank.
Other sightings were Black Tailed Godwit 11. Redshank 2. Lapwing 31. Oystercatcher 2. Shelduck 10. Immature Mute Swan. Teal 5 on the Douglas