Starting the day at Parkgate hoping to see Short-eared Owls hunting, I was greeted on arrival by 3 Owls, but unfortunately they were at a distance and in poor light.
Next I spent 4 hours or so at Burton Mere RSPB trying to capture Bearded Tits.
Again I saw the birds but they didn't really show at the front of the reed beds, preferring to stay tantalizingly a few feet inwards.
The highlight of the day at Burton was the first ever recorded sighting of a White Stork on the reserve and the buzz around the place was electric!
I saw the bird from a great distance on two occasions and on the second it was being mobbed by around 20+ Gulls.
I did get a few record shots, but even at a 100% crop the Stork is tiny in the frame so I won't bother sharing.
Apparently the White Stork was sighted again on site, but of course its anyone's guess to how long it hangs around.
Finally after the excitement of Burton Mere, I returned to Parkgate in hope of another crack at the Short-eared Owls.
By this time it was around 3pm and after an half hour wait a Owl arrived on the scene.
The Shorty hunted along the marsh for around 45 minutes, covering a great deal of ground in a characteristic figure-of-eight pattern, with just a couple of resting periods in-between flights.
In total the bird made four flybys pass my position near the Boat House...A great end to a very memorable day.
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