17th October 2011

Headed over to Draycote water again this morning with the weather turning,hoping something might have dropped in stopped to speak to Richard Mays on Farborough bank as he'd already walked down to the spit (nothing doing) when suddenly he shouts up Short-eared Owl just dropped out of the sky & headed into the country park where it seemed to drop,a quick dash & i'd soon located it sitting on the deck where it soon huddled up into a large tuft of grass with only it's head showing,we decided to wait for Bob to join us from the other side of the reservoir but unfortunately it was disturbed by a dog walker even with Richard trying to shepherd her away from it!!! Oh well so only a cpl of distant record shots below also had 11 Ringed Plover,8 Dunlin on the inflow with a (Greenland) Wheatear also present & 19 Grey Heron