Two more for the garden list

January so far has been pretty quiet in the garden so far this year with the usual Blackbirds, Greenfinches, House Sparrows, Robin, Rock Doves and Starlings with Common Gulls making occasional appearances.

However this afternoon just as a friend was leaving I spotted a Short-eared Owl hunting out over our paddock and heath land area. After my friend left it landed on one of the fence posts and sat there for a few minutes before taking to the wing again to carry on hunting. I was getting some good views of it through the binoculars but the views got even better when it swooped over the garden and landed on one of the garden fence posts.

As usual the camera wasn't to hand but when it flew off I managed to grab the camera and get outside to catch it hunting back over the paddock and heath land.

Short-eared Owl

Then as I headed back to the house I saw something moving on the ground below the row of Fuchsia bushes. Moving closer I saw a couple of Redpolls feeding amongst the leaf litter.

 

Redpoll

Neither species has been seen in the garden before so that's two new ones for the garden list.

No sign of the Water Rail this year but we remain hopeful.