Anglers Country Park

We went for a walk around Anglers Country Park today near Wakefield. This is one of my favourate local birding spots as, although it does have a hide, you can walk around the edge of the whole lake so on sunny days you can just sit with your scope and watch from any spot you like. It's a good job too as the wardens were doing some work around the hide (putting out rafts?) so there were scarely any birds around the hide at all. Fortunately on or above the rest of the place was packed with goodies... Canada Geese (around 140), Mute Swans (10-20), Greylag Geese (cf 10), Coots (dozens), Great Crested Grebe (again dozens, about 8 or so swimming together), Pochard (cf 20), Tufted Duck (cf 60), House Martins (dozens and dozens feeding over the water), Cormorant (flying over the water), Heron (flying over and landing to fish, Pied Wagtail (3 at various points around the edge of the water, Common Tern (fishing), Shoveler (3 with winter plumage so males and females look same), Common Gull (20), Black Headed Gull (75). Not a bad stroll.

But there were 2 extra treats. Firsly, a pair of Egyptian Geese (male and female as noticed from the green/blue feathers of the male) which I know are from escapees and now feral but I've never seen any before so it's a nice new tick. I even got a decent photo. I've discovered taking my video camera is a great way to get close up shots without too much hassle and it's reasonably quality (20x optical zoom after all) so....



And finally, now I'm not 100% but I think I saw a Tawny Owl. I need to do a bit of research as it was in broad daylight before I claim a tick but I don't see what else it could have been. It was on the ground at the edge of some woodland by a farmers field (cut crops, possibly wheat). It flew off into a tree and I could just make it out with my bins, but not too closely. It was soon off into the woods when I tried to get a little closer. But I'm pretty sure it was an owl, but it was far too big to be a Little Owl and I definately saw browny-red plumage when it flew into the trees. What do you think? I'm going to have a look round online and check my books but I'm reasonably convinced it was a Tawny Owl.