February 23rd

The day began when Anne heard a male Long-eared Owl calling close to our garden at Bishopstone at about 0030 hours. This is the third record of a Long-eared Owl in the area this year.

This morning was sunny and relatively mild but there was a freshening southerly wind blowing as we walked from Chamber's Wall to Coldharbour and back by way of the Green Wall. We saw 7 Goldfinches, 1 Green Woodpecker, 4 Cetti's Warblers, 3 Grey Partridges, 18 Skylarks, 4 Song Thrushes, 42 Corn Buntings, 3 Redshank, 1 Little Grebe, 276 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 2 Gadwall, 4 Mallard, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 5 Curlew, 4 Oystercatchers, 4 Turnstone, 65 Golden Plovers, 2 Snow Bunting, 3 Linnets W, 1 Common Buzzard and 1 Fieldfare.

Snow Buntings