Coronavirus keeps it local

Enforced lockdown from 23rd March restricted my movements significantly. Peninsula birding was the only option but it wasn’t all bad news, not least because of the exceptionally fine and dry weather. As I write this in early May, we still haven’t seen any significant rain since lockdown began, some two months ago. One highlight of April was Common Scoter on 15th – species no. 113 for the house list. Birdguides website had shown evidence of recent night-time migration over land in various parts of the UK, including locally, and when I heard strange calls emanating from a flock of birds passing overhead at around midnight I was quick to make the link; sound recordings on the internet the following morning confirmed my suspicions. At around this time, a Whinchat was at the local reserve and showed well, albeit briefly. The 12th April saw the brief return of the Long-billed Dowitcher nearby, this time in partial summer plumage! Four Wheatears on the 14th were little consolation for the disappearing Dowitcher. I did get some blurred flight shots of the yank migrant but nothing spectacular, sadly. On 23rd April I was delighted to find a Short-eared Owl at the local reserve, and this stayed for a week and a half, occasionally well enough for some nice images to be taken. On 27th a Marsh Harrier passed over drawing the attention of the owl and was promptly mobbed by it: a wonderful sight. Much of April was spent building make-shift bird hides and a reflection pool out of an old bath. I spent many hours here and got my best shots of Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Tree Sparrow and rat (!) amongst other things. I also caught a brief glimpse of male Bullfinch (a rare sight in our garden).