3- Dec-14
Rog Musgrove and I, along with several others, had good views of 3 Short-eared Owls flying low over roadside fields at Wall Common (Steart) this early evening from 15:30hrs. East of the straight section of road that leads directly to the beach car park.
At least two, and possibly three, Short-eared Owls showed well today along the foreshore at Wall Common and on the fields over the road from 14.15 onwards
One SEO showing very well on a post then hunting over the rough ground by the Steart Gate car park from 1445. It ranged down the roadside towards Wall Common car park, but kept coming back, twice having a mid-air tussle with a Kestrel, which was fun to watch.
Later one, poss same, over Wall Common by car park at c1615.
Earlier in the afternoon a brief Merlin whizzed through Caatcott Lows, but no sign of the Bewick's Swans.
SEO in same place as yesterday by Huntspill sluice. Also peregrine on saltings to the south, plenty of avocets opposite, stonechat, redwings and a couple of song thrushes on the way up to the sluice.
And again this morning, the SEO flew up as I walked through the field gate. Also a dozen blackwits in the spillway with the usual redshanks, teal and wigeon.
There were 2 SEOs on the River Parrett this afternoon (at 14:00ish), but they kept flying out into the middle of the reserve due mainly to the number of walkers making use of the sunny day. So, I cycled back to main WWT Steart Marshes car park and drove up to Wall Common where there were another 3. These three were very active flying on both sides of the road and interacting with each other.
