It was great to greet 16 people at Bromhey Farm RSPB Northward Hill car-park for a pretty impromptu Barn Owl Watch Walk.
The Walk was instigated after sighting parent Owls hunting last Thursday on a regular Nightingale Walk as we made our way back from a very successful descent from the hill and back up to Sweeney Viewpoint.
So we decided an Owl Walk was a good idea, after consent from the reserve and at short notice this evenings walk was arranged.
So we made our way slowly to Sweeney VP. The earlier rain had stopped its’ threat and the sun lit our way. We heard Robin, Blackbird, Chiff-Chaff and Cuckoo along the way.
At Sweeney we awaited the Owls, a kestrel, Swallows, a lone Swift and scritchy-scratchy Whitethroats kept us amused as we looked across the marsh for the main act.
At 8.35 a Barn Owl was spotted in the distance, going right from the CRS building toward the Sanctuary.
The light was beginning to fade and it was fairly distant, but the slow low flight is unmistakable. We watched it for a good five minutes until it disappeared behind the Radio Station.
Walking back to the car park I was hoping to get a Nightingale singing, but not this evening, however we did hear the bubbling call of a female cuckoo, which was good for those who’d never heard before.