Hedgerow Surprise

While searching for Waxwings along the hawthorne hedges last week I came across this roosting Long Eared Owl. It is always a wonderful moment to encounter such a bird that has almost certainly come to us for Winter from Scandinavia and may have crossed the North Sea with the Waxwings. Ironically this Owl was only yards from the spot where , in 1975, I caught and ringed a dozen roosting Long Eared Owls. It was the largest number ever caught in Britain at one time and was even more special when one was re-captured the following Spring, brooding young, in a forest just outside Oslo proving exactly where they had all come from.

For the first time ever we have had more than twenty species in the garden on each of the last seven days. The Willow Tit has been joined by Song Thrush, Reed Buntings and now up to three Bullfinches. Numerous apples have been spread around the garden in the hope of attracting Waxwings but unfortunately they all seem to have moved on. However, I did obtain last week the flight shot of a Waxwing I have always dreamt of and this will highlight next week’s blog.