Thursday 7 April 2011

Eagle strikes

Red-legged Partridge

Ian 'Eagle' Jones saved what I had passed off as a duff day (bar the reasonably early Common Whitethroat at The Scrub today, a patch year tick) this evening. I intended to leave at 7.00pm with Johnny Allan in the hope that last night's Short-eared Owl had stuck around. A call from Ian at 6.30pm informing me of a Red-legged Partridge and a Common Redstart got me on the line to John asking if he minded leaving a little earlier.

We parked up and ended up in the wrong place as Ian and I hadn't cleared up exactly where he was. We sorted the directions out and rushed over to find him with Paul Manville, who had also just arrived. The partridge had just gone round the corner. We walked along the hedge, shortly after John connected with the Common Redstart (that I didn't see) for his year list, and soon the Red-legged Partridge ran out in front of us. In the bag!!!

We all settled down to stake out the Short-eared. We stuck it out until 8.45pm but there was no sign of the target or a Barn Owl, though three Little Owls were calling. A shame, I really wanted John, Paul and Ian to see it. It must have been a migrant bird that roosted in Harrier Field for one day and headed off last night.


Cheers Ian!!!


Canons Farm & Banstead Woods Life List: 102

Canons Farm & Banstead Woods Year List 2011: 80 (67 at this point last year)