Knot on the beach

The weekend before the weekend before last (I've been busy, OK?) was my wife's 'birthday weekend'. Not birthday, you will note, which fell some days previously, but 'birthday weekend'. This phenomenon, like the 'birthday breakfast', and the 'birthday curry with the girls', is a privilege reserved, it appears, uniquely for the matriarch in our household at least. This year, however, it coincided with 'Father's Day weekend', necessitating a degree of compromise about how to mark both occasions.

Avocet at Titchwell RSPB, 18th June

Claire favoured hiring a campervan and heading for a south coast location. I favoured the home comforts of a hotel, preferably in Norfolk, given the presence of a long-staying adult Great Knot, a bird I had never before seen in Britain or anywhere in the world for that matter. The choice divided the family down the middle, with particularly strong views about migrants (by which I mean waders, of course) being expressed on both sides. Protracted negotiations, several tense stand-offs and a near complete breakdown in diplomatic relations ensued, until a compromise was reached involving, one might say, full access to the single market for campervans and the free movement of people to East Anglia.

Barn Owl quartering the saltmarsh near Titchwell

The hire vehicle Claire procured was a monster - a converted Peugeot Boxer, which barely fitted into our parking bay at home but contained sufficient space and home comforts to accommodate four people, suitcases, camera gear, telescopes, board games, and all the other baggage which a family which never learnt the meaning of 'travelling light' could wish for. After packing said menagerie, our Friday night departure from Dorset was pretty late, and we could only make it as far as Cambridgeshire before the need to hook-up at a campsite became paramount.

You don't see that every day - Shoveler duckling at Titchwell

After an early start we headed straight to Titchwell, but sadly the Great Knot, which on several of the previous days had pitched up early morning to feed on the beach before retiring to an unknown roost, had already been and gone for the day. So there was nothing for it but to knock up a full English breakfast in the back of the van. Always my favourite part of camping, and this was no exception despite the disappointment of missing the Great Knot.

White van men: Rowan and George outside our 'hotel' for the weekend

Sated by bacon and eggs, we trudged to the wet and windy beach and put in a good shift for the rest of the day trying, but failing, to find the Great Knot. Never mind, there was still Sunday to catch up with it, I thought, as we headed for an idyllic campsite at South Creake. The problem was that rousing the family early on Sunday would be no easier than it had been on Saturday, raising the prospect of a groundhog day double-dip.

Huge numbers of Knot land on Titchwell beach

Fortunately, a chance encounter earlier in the Titchwell car park with Dave Bradnum, my companion on a recent Hebridean adventure, suggested that he might be trying again early on Sunday morning, so, to cut a long story short, I was able to blag a lift with him, see the Great Knot and get back to the campsite in time to rustle up another full English.

'See that flock of 5,000 Knot? It's second from the right' The Great Knot moves conveniently to the edge of the huge flock on the beach to show the de-curved bill, black chevrons on the flanks and Turnstone-like back pattern

This was only the fifth record of Great Knot in Britain, so a very rare bird indeed, and all the more notable for being my second British tick on consecutive Father's Days following last year's Terek Sandpiper.

The Great Knot stretches its wings emphasising its small-headed appearance and revealing a necklace of black streaking

Feeling gracious and conciliatory having got what I had hoped for from the weekend,  back at the van I announced that I was quite happy to do what everybody else wanted to do. And this time I meant it. The remainder of Father's Day was therefore spent meandering south via Oxburgh Hall, a National Trust tick for the whole family set in beautiful, wildlife-friendly grounds.

Red-eyed Damselfly, Oxburgh Hall, Norfolk

The boys and I dread places like this as their Mum diligently reads every word on the interpretation panels in every room, presumably in some kind of search for knowledge and self-improvement. We, by contrast, can only cope with so much information about the provenance of medieval dyes so after a quick whizz around the stately home, we made ourselves scarce and retired to the grounds. Damselflies in the moat and Grass Snakes on the lawn kept us entertained until Claire returned brimming with useless information about tapestry to entertain us throughout the four hour journey home. An excellent weekend, so a big thank you to my loving, tolerant family (and Dave) for making it so.

Grass Snake, Oxburgh Hall

Time slowed down

Time felt like it had slowed down on our recent half-term visit to Cornwall. That's my excuse for posting these photos two weeks after they were taken anyway. The Hudsonian Whimbrel rather stole the limelight on that trip, but there was plenty of other stuff to see on the way there and back.

Fulmar, Lands End

We went to Land's End to look for a Rose-coloured Starling. Only after spending the day there did I realise it was actually at The Lizard. Wrong headland. Doh! Here is its close relative, a male Starling.

The Land's End Starlings were looking stunning though. This one a female.

Longships Lighthouse off Land's End

Land's End was taking a bit of a pounding

Oystercatcher at Sennen Cove

Little Egrets near Marazion

Rock Pipit at Marazion

Sanderling at Marazion

This Pheasant visited the garden of our holiday cottage

After leaving Land's End we headed for St Levan where this Barn Own was a highlight

Barn Owl

Possibly the world's worst photo of a Yellow-browed Warbler, which was at the bottom of the valley at St Levan, calling frequently, but not exactly showy!

On the way down to Cornwall, a flying visit to Seaton Marshes enabled me to catch up with a Glossy Ibis 

It was a bit distant unfortunately...

...also a bit distant at Seaton Marshes was a drake Green-winged Teal, here with a female Common Teal

This Whooper Swan was on the boating lake at Helston on the way home

Whooper Swan - a returning bird which first turned up as a juvenile in 2013

Different garden birds

Just back from a few days with the family in Suffolk where our cottage in Eastbridge had views over the marshes and a Barn Owl nest box on the lawn. Jackdaws were squatting in the nest box but the Barn Owl could still be seen roosting in a dead tree just beyond the end of the garden. I went out early one morning and came back to find the boys telling tales about seeing Marsh Harriers from the kitchen. I was just expressing my disbelief when George caused me to spit out my cornflakes by pointing one out just beyond the garden fence. I fumbled for the camera and managed a few shots before it sailed behind some trees. Marsh Tits visited the feeders while Cetti's Warbler, Snipe and Tawny Owl made it on to the 'heard only' list. Makes my small urban garden in Wareham, currently massively over-grazed by Guinea Pigs, look a bit lame.


Male Marsh Harrier, Eastbridge

Not a bad garden bird

Barn Owl, Eastbridge - #95 on my photo year list

The photos should have been better but I screwed up my settings at the crucial moment

Marsh Tit (#96) visited feeders in the garden with its commoner cousins

The birdseed also attracted larger visitors like this Pheasant (#97)

A momentary lapse of unreason

October half-term means holidays, and we'd normally be on the Isles of Scilly by now. Not this year though as we went in August, so I'm at home and free to twitch with abandon. However, I seem to have mislaid my cheque book, and temporarily regained my sanity, so rather than thinking about chartering choppers to Lundy, flights to Unst or speedboats to Rum my thoughts turned to local birding today. And very rewarding it was too:

This Barn Owl perched on the roof of the hide I was sitting in at Middlebere before giving a close flypast...

...and alighting briefly on a post in front of the hide.

The Barn Owl was out quite early - about 1600

This male Hen Harrier hunted alongside the track at Middlebere

A Migrant Hawker at Swineham had survived the overnight winds

A distant Merlin was at Bestwall

This late Wheatear had been blown in to Swineham Point...

...and a equally late Red Admiral was also on the wing.

Quality time

After Swineham rewarded me so handsomely for a quick and dirty visit midweek, I thought I should take it slower last night. I headed there straight after work and stayed until dark: the equivalent of flowers, chocolates and a meal by my standards.

Brambling: in the open at last

I almost didn't get there at all, distracted on the edge of Wareham by the continued presence of a small Brambling flock, which had been joined by several singing Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers since my last visit. The Bramblings have been tricky to photograph all winter, remaining wary and positioning themselves deep or high in a variety of small trees. With a bit of good light last night, I was determined to out-wait them, and eventually one did perch briefly in the open.

Willow Warbler, Swineham

More Chiffs and Willow Warblers were singing around the pits and while photographing them I met a lady who'd been out to the Point to look for the local Common Seal. She reported seeing a Barn Owl en route and, best of all, a Long-eared Owl in the bushes a few hundred yards from where we were stood. The location seemed as likely a spot as any for Long-Eared Owl, and the fact that the bird remained in the bushes while she tried (unsuccessfully) to get a picture with a compact camera before it was eventually flushed by some other passers-by also sounded more like a Long-Eared than a Short-Eared Owl. The sceptical (and insanely jealous) mind inevitably considers possible confusion between the two, particularly as Short-eared is regularly seen here and Long-eared is something of a rarity in Poole Harbour. So if you're reading this, compact camera-wielding lady, sorry I doubted you, and thanks for the gen.

Chiffchaff, Bestwall Road

The Owl had apparently flown along the hedge line but not gone far so I thoroughly checked some likely locations without success. As dusk approached I waited at the end of the pits which affords a good all round view. A Marsh Harrier came in to roost and a Barn Owl cruised past but that was about it. I had texted news of the report to the nerve centre of local bird news, a.k.a. Steve Smith, who joined me for the last of the light.

Barn Owl, Swineham

Steve phoned just before he reached my vantage point to say he had flushed an Eared Owl from the bushes next to the path, and that it looked too dark for a Short-Eared. Soon after I picked it up heading in my direction, and managed a couple of shots in the half-light. From field views the underwing tips looked pale and barred, the underparts more extensively streaked and the upperparts more uniform than Short-Eared, so we retired to Chez Moore to consume the pictures, field guides and vegetable biryanis.

Underwing pattern shows several bars towards the pale wing tip, not solidly dark tips as in Short-eared Owl

The photographs, which I fully expect to secure at least a commendation in the 2013 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, showed enough for us to feel confident about identifying it as a Long-Eared Owl. So my third Swineham tick in a week, and another good bird on the 'walked from home' list (Steve gave me a lift back to the curry house but I walked one way, which is allowed. See clause 4.2, section VIII of 'Walked from Home List Rulebook', as amended 12/4/13).

Long-eared Owl has darker and more uniform upperparts than Short-eared Owl and a richer chestnut patch on the wing

Catching up

Still clearing a backlog of photos from recent holiday in Norfolk. No words, just pictures. Come on, I'm 43 years old, it was, like, a whole week ago, how am I supposed to remember amusing anecdotes and contextual guff from that long ago?

Marsh Harrier at Cley

Marsh Harrier at Cley

Great Black-backed Gull at Blakeney Point

Egyptian Goose at Salthouse

Skylark at Cley

Barn Own at Moreton

Barn Owl at Moreton