Didn't expect to see this bird in a field on the outskirts of Sheffield yesterday. Long-tailed skua apparently - according to my Collins guide it shouldn't even be in the UK at the moment let alone in a very non-coastal area.
Thought that was jammy enough then on the way home another (see my post "owls of delight") barn owl flew past me (it's getting a bit spooky now - I think they're stalking me) and I was able to get some decent snaps in the dying light...
Unknown said:I think they're stalking me
I meant to ask...you're not small and vole shaped are you?
(Pardon the Scottish Accent)
Pete
Birding is for everyone no matter how good or bad we are at it,enjoy it while you can
What a lucky find, a long-tailed skua, and as the others have said, lovely photos Mike, including the barn owl.
Mike
Flickr: Peak Rambler
I would have said my favourite bird was a curlew - I love their calls (just now returning to the moors round here) and their incongruously long beaks - but these barn owls are really testing my loyalty - they're stunning...