Short-eared Owl at Holme

Short-eared Owl at Holme.

  Monday just gone, just after 08.00, driving down the track towards Holme Bird Observatory, we flushed a Short-eared owl at very close range. Instead of flying off, it landed on brambles at a distance of a few metres. We observed it for a good 15 minutes as it made short flights from post to post in front of the car, before flying off. Before this, outside our digs where we are staying in Plumstead, we heard 2 vocal Tawny Owl and had cracking views of a Barn Owl on the A148 near Fakenham.

Top two pics taken by Elmarie Humphries

This by far was the best views we've ever had of SEO

 

  

 Looking from the obs towards the village, Holmes-next-the-sea Elmarie Humphries

 

  

During Elle's two morning ringing sessions with Gary Elton at the observatory, we also managed to see Hen Harrier, lots of Marsh Harrier and Muntjac

 

This female Great Spotted Woodpecker was already ringed

  

This Red Admiral took advantage of the warm sunshine just outside the obs building

 

 

As we pass the tip next to Edgefield on our way to Holt every day, we always see Red Kites hanging out with the gulls. Top two pics taken by Elmarie Humphries

 

 

Before we hit Norfolk, we had a two day stay at Spurn where Elle ringed a single Snow Bunting thanks to Paul Collins and Tim jones

This female Sparrowhawk flew low trying to flush out the small numbers of Blackbird that had just arrtived near to the point

Great black-backed Gull

 

Spurn Point

The freedom fighter 'the great Nelson Mandela' passed away a few hours ago. When he made his first visit to the USA, after his release, there were music and film stars performing at the LA Coliseum for him. As you will hear at the end of this song, Kris Kristofferson says that the most honored thing that ever happened to him is when Mandela came up to him and asked him to sing the 'Eagle and the Bear' which at the the end of the chorus he sings 'Until the day we free Mandela, all the world will be in chains' This footage is at 'The Nobel Peace Center Oslo, Norway at the Music Freedom day 2008' Madela won the Nobel Peace Prize with F.W. de klerk in 1993.