It was almost noon when Bruno and I headed out onto Worth Marshes RSPB Res. We were late on parade due to the bitingly cold NW wind, early doors, and the simple fact that I had to do the Tesco run as we'd almost run out of food. Almost as soon as we turned the bend, which allows the first clear view over the marsh, I spotted the Barn Owl hunting over exactly the same area as it had been on Tuesday. My initial attempts at grabbing some shots was thwarted when a passing dog walker (doing absolutely nothing untoward) caused Bruno to go into meltdown mode and the owl had to take a back seat whilst I sorted him out. The situation quickly calmed down as the other guy and his two Jack Russells continued on their way, leaving me to watch a now, very distant owl hunting besides the railway line on the far side of the marsh. Admitting defeat, we then continued on our own walk, following the main track down to Hacklinge Pumping Station. We then took a left turn, along a side track which allows views across towards the old Betteshanger coal tip. A nice detour, although not particularly rewarding today.
 |
| A sub-adult Grey Heron provided some target practice for the camera kit. |
We'd already been out well over an hour, at this point, so we did an about turn and headed back towards the van, this time walking beside The Roaring Gutter, yet with a similar lack of excitement. It was only as we reached the section of The Pinnock Wall besides the reserve that it became apparent that the Barn Owl was still active around the same spot. We got tucked in using some brambles for cover and, after a few minutes, I did manage to grab a few more shots of this day time hunter.
By the time we got back to the bungalow, we'd been out almost three hours and Bruno was absolutely knackered. Another very enjoyable outing all the same.
No comments:
Post a Comment