Did,nt get out today until late afternoon when I thought it was worth a trip to one of the local reservoirs to see if any Terns were passing through.
As I arrived the clouds came down and the heavens opened but thats the stuff Terns prefer, if not me.
After a while it brightened but although plenty LBB gulls were moving through there were no Terns.
The usual sp. were around the area with the addition of 2 Common Sandpipers, 1 Ringed Plover, all on the distant far shore, and a Cuckoo calling throughout giving teasing glances as it flicked from the trees at the far side of the res and into the field and back.
A check of Upper Marsh found most of the Golden Plovers already gone leaving around 90 in the sheep field.
Then the excitement started..... driving home through an undisclosed area a large light raptor type bird was flying in front of the car about building height but I could only see it tail on and this happened in a couple of minutes when suddenly 3 raptors flew at it making it veer to the side showing it to be a Barn Owl. I slammed on as it was disappearing through the trees and fired shots through the windscreen but got nothing but blurrs and bushes.
Whether escaped, released or wild remains a mystery until I put some feelers out for that area but a real surprise of a bird to see around these parts.
BS