Little Owl

Went for a wee explore today around the site of the now disused Hatfield Aerodrome, or to give it it's new name Ellenbrook Fields, an area of land which the owners in conjunction with the local councils have opened up for public use. It is obviously an area that is and will be good for birds but today pickings were light, the best I came up with was a flock of Fieldfares a Green Woodpecker and a Reed Bunting. I covered a lot of ground, but with areas like that the key can often be knowing where to concentrate your search.

There were a couple of hours of daylight left so I decided to head on to Tyttenhanger again, and concentrate on one particular hedge. I set up the camera and just stood there and along came Blue Tit, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Crow, Robin, Starling, Fieldfare, Redwing and a flock of 50 Lapwing flew over - not bad from a single spot and if I'd turned round there was the swans, ducks and geese in the flooded gravel pit.

With light fading I headed back to the car and then remembered a tip I'd been given six months back and never acted on as to where I could find a Little Owl. So took a slight detour and there exactly as promised was the Little Owl. Unfortunately the view was through a hedge and through a chain link fence. So put the camera into manual focus mode and with the shutter speed down to 1/50" the above's not bad for a poor light shot and as I said before the key can often be knowing where to concentrate your search - Thanks Steve.

Please view in Large, after all it's only a Little Owl.