Year tick at Buckenham Marshes and a beautiful Barn Owl

Having met Brian at the Fen (following a 6.30 arrival!) the walk around the hides and riverbanks was pretty unproductive, so I suggested a stroll to Buckenham along the low road.

No Ring Ouzels on the meadows, but a few well-marked Mistle Thrushes and lots of Blackcaps in the belt of woodland. The walk down to the River Yare added Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Linnet and Swallow, while the scrape held four Redshanks, eight Avocets and a Common Sandpiper or two.

As we turned to leave, I caught sight of a spruce little Wheatear that perched briefly with a Linnet and a Reed Bunting: first of the year for me! The return trek gave us more thrushes, several well-marked Buzzards and, by the back gate, a ghostly Barn Owl dozing in a sunlit glade in the woods.