Brettenham Heath, 19/02/10

Decided to make an evening trip to the heath. Local bird reports suggest Long eared Owls breed here, and February should be the right time to hear birds calling.

Spent around 2 hours wandering the heath until darkness, no sign of any Owls. However, a Woodcock whizzed past just above my head and an astonishing spectacle of 97 Red Deer, including 2 Stags, were watched jumping the fence into another part of the heath. A Yellowhammer flew to roost, as did a Fieldfare and the local Corvids. It was a beautiful evening, and despite no sign of my hoped for quarry, a pleasing outing.

Drove home via East Harling Heath, stopping at various pull ins and listening for calls. Again, I left feeling frustrated but the habitat looks promising and persistence may just pay off.

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Notes from the valley

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