a Barn Owl yesterday:
 |
| Barn Owl (Tyto alba) Staines Moor, 3/2/13 |
Or a good example of how not to be a wildlife photographer.
This Barn Owl that appeared on Staines Moor yesterday was just one of many highlights on a memorable trip out to West London for our 'Office Patch Swap'.
The only rule of Patch Swap is, there are no rules! Only that everyone has a great day birding around someone else's local area. Our first stop yesterday was South Ealing tube station, Richard's manor, to pay a visit to London’s most reliable and thus most papped waxwings. True to form, they were there – 14 birds loitering conspicuously in a tree by the bus stop as they have done for 35 days now. Are they waiting for the bus back to Scandinavia perhaps?
At Staines Reservoir we were exposed to the elements but rewarded with excellent views of a Great Northern Diver. It was an evasive bird but a wonderful brute. Doing what a diver does best, it would come up for five seconds and then disappear under the choppy waters for twenty, popping up 100m away. That is some strength. It kept us fit but it was worth it.
From there it was to Staines Moor - a truly unexpected and undisturbed slice of wilderness, a precious alluvial grassland, a SSSI, hemmed in on all sides by Heathrow and the M25. It was a strange feeling, heart and mind wanting to surrender to it but prevented from doing so by the constant hum. Nevertheless, as we wandered among the ancient anthills all afternoon, its nature slowly unfolded and the noise was easier to forget. We had wonderful views of a another wandering spirit, a Short-eared Owl, quartering the moor at dusk until it alighted on a bramble perch - its fiery eyes so weary and watchful. I shared this view through my scope with a passing dog walker who was thrilled. I think she'll remember that day she saw an owl.
There was more of course, that afternoon, but the story is much the same. The next office patch swap has a lot to live up to!
Some footage here (courtesy Daniel Greenwood):
 |
| A ghost in a tree: Short-eared Owl, Staines Moor, 3/2/13 |
Thanks to Rich, Vicki and Dan
No comments:
Post a Comment