Yellow-legged Gull at Porth Mellon

Pulled over to the side of the main road overlooking the tip and scanning with me bins picked out the 1st winter Yellow-legged Gull that I had last week at Porthloo. From the road, this gull was a long ways off and when Tony arrived to look at it, it had moved on. Later I also caught up very briefly with the 2nd winter Iceland Gull nearby.

  One of the locals, Angie Greenlaw, got my attention to tell me that she had just been watching a Short-eared Owl down Lower Moors. It was not until an hour later that I could get down there and when arrived at the hides, there was another local, Steve Sherris, ready with his camera. He showed me some good pics of the owl he took earlier on and then told me that he found it two days ago, the same day that Smoothy also saw it. While waiting, on view was a Kingfisher, Jack Snipe and 12 Redwings flew out SE.

Jack Snipe, Kingfisher, Pied Wagtail and Teal

  The fog was closing in and at 17.00, after almost an hour of waiting for the SEO, we decided to leave. I walked with Steve towards Old Town, we had a chat and then I turned round and made my way to me wagon at the Rose Hill end. As I was nearing the hides, I heard a Firecrest close behind me and when I turned, bloody el, there it was! I could of touched the Short-eared owl as it was at arms lengh away. It was all too brief and disappeared over the trees.
  Yesterday I had 2 Rusty Dot Pearls at home, attracted to the outside light. Also a few days ago, single twenty-plume Moths at both home and Star Castle.

The light was crap and by the time I got me camera on the SEO, it was always flying away from me.

I got an email asking, 'where's the music gone?' and that was it. It's time I'm afraid, but I'll try to keep up. I first heard this song in '97 on the Bob Harris Show. 'Sweet Surrender' by Sarah Mclachlan.