Barn Owl makes the day for me!

 First stop this morning was on the causeway to rescue a Mute Swan that was waddling down the carriageway, it was the third one this year I have rescued from the road. I think they land on it when it is wet thinking that it is a body of water.
Further down the causeway a quick look at the ARC saw one of the White-winged Black terns and 2 Black Terns.
I parked at the lighthouse and made my way to the obsevatory, seeing on the way 100s of Swallows, lesser numbers of Sand Martins and House Martins, a few Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Common Whitethroats, Blackcaps, a Whinchat and a Black Redstart.

 One of 2 Tree Pippits that alighted on the observatory roof

While I was at the obsevatory a Spotted Flycatcher and a few Willow Warblers were caught also 2 Tree Pipits landed on the roof.  

 My next stop was at the top end of the Long Pits which was quite busy with Willow Warblers, Common Whitethroats, Blackcaps, a couple of Chiffchaffs and 2 more Spotted Flycatchers. As I turned into the ride cut a couple of years ago by OL and his volunteers, I was amazed to see a Barn Owl asleep just a few feet in front of me, I fired off a couple of images and I guess the shutter noise woke the Owl which promptly flew away towards the trapping area. This is the first Barn Owl I have seen in the official DBO recording area.

 A Stunner!!!

 At lunch time just as I finished emptying the Plodland MVwhich contained a Large Thorn new for me and another 7 Vestals, also 133 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, I received a message from The Birding Gardener about a Wryneck at the southern edge of the trapping area he had found. I made my way there and got a brief flight viewbefore it seemed to disappear. While waiting for it to appear I got another message from PT this time about a Red-backed Shrike on the reserve, as my time was limited I gave up on the Wryneck and was very soon watching the Red-backed Shrike.

 Red-backed Shrike against a thundery background!

A distant White-winged Black Tern