The stealthy year tick

It's been a tricky week for getting out when Goosander could drop in any moment, but I managed the last hour of light tonight. I began at Sandford picking up the female Red Crested Pochard asleep on the far side, 20+ Pochard present too and lots of Gadwall.

I decided I was near enough to WSL to give Bittern a try, but there was virtually nothing to hear or see there, barely any Starling, 1 Sparrowhawk was about it.

I marched back to Lavell's and saw the flock of Starling vanishing over there from Sandford, heading straight to Teal hide, I half expected to hear more birds, but as it was much cooler and getting late, nothing much did.

In a few moments at 16:59 I picked up a Woodcock coming toward the hide, it turned right and looped back, repeating the loop, before seeming to drop towards the right of the scrape. I waited to see if it was going to return, but after about another 5 minutes it was nearly totally dark looking North, so left. On my walk back I made a few lame Tawny Owl calls, hearing something towards Sandford copse, I couldn't be sure if it was even a bird, so dismissed it.

My feelings are that if you want the hardest to find winter species, you have to work at it, but at least be smart about it, so looking for Woodcock as I did today, or anytime into late February will do, same applies to Bittern, most likely still at WSL, but perhaps our elusive bird is still lurking around Lavell's somewhere?

I think one can be a little more relaxed about Barn Owl, but all of the aforementioned can often be seen around Bittern hide, then concentrate there. Tawny Owl might well be even harder to see than all the other owls, I am always happy just hearing them myself, but it's one species that most resort to short bursts of tape luring to catch a glimpse of one. As long it is a short burst, I am not one for getting bent out of shape on such things. If it was a Baillon's Crake, or Marsh Warbler in late May, well that would be a different matter.

I will be updating my year list and various other sections very soon.