SHORT EARED OWL - Patch tick & lifer

I was away on business when the reports of a Short Eared Owl at Axe Cliffs went out, but I popped up to have a look at the earliest opportunity (yesterday & today). I was pleased when it popped up over a hedge; it's a bird I've been wanting to see for a while, and getting a lifer as a patch bird is always nice! Views were pretty distant unfortunately, perhaps due to the golfer... Let's hope it hangs around to give me a better chance. Karen and Steve both seemed to have much better fortune with the bird but I'm still content with this pic; it is my first SEO after all!!

BEARDED TITS at RSPB Radipole

Lifer.
Only got a couple of minutes viewing these, but a precious couple of minutes they were...

RAPTORS at Radipole

I took Dad to RSPB Radipole in hope of seeing the Bearded Tits; neither of us had seen one before. The day started by driving out of a sunny Devon and into a slightly dull Dorset! Upon our arrival we were reliably informed that we'd missed out on a close up sighting of a male Bearded Tit by about 20 minutes. Rather than waiting for their return, we had a look around the reserve and was rewarded with some nice views of raptors. Here's a few of the pics:

Marsh Harrier

Sparrowhawk

Marsh Harrier and corvid pursuer

Buzzard

Pics of the Bearded Tits will be here shortly...

Snow Bunting - Poser!

Another rather nice bird to distract from other things going on at the moment. More pics to come!

Whooper Swans a Devon tick

With lots of commitments to attend to today, I took a brief opportunity to go out with the camera. I went to Exminster Marshes and was pleased to see two Whooper Swans in a field near the main car park. I checked BirdGuides and they had already been reported but as Bewicks, so I got them to correct it. Great to see and rather unexpected for a trip which was intended just as a distraction from the rest of my day.

Better Penduline Tit pic

I'm still midway through sorting out my Penduline Tit pics from Sunday so there may be better shots to put up soon...

Some lovely Tits!! (Penduline, obviously)

With some good pics of the RSPB Darts Farm Penduline Tits emerging on the internet over the last couple of days, I thought I'd better make an effort to go and see them myself. My plan was to go to Darts Farm, see the Tits, take some recognisable photos then head back and get the Great Grey Shrike at Aylesbeare Common on the way home. There were no reports of the GGShrike at all today, but the first half of my plan was rather more successful. Three Penduline Tits were showing well upon my arrival. Showing well, but far from easy to photograph due to the vegetation and cluttered background etc. Here's a few pics:

The Black Brant was also showing well. Bit of a bully as is often the case with this species: