A Couple of Jars

 Margie and I headed up to Ashdown Forest last evening in the hope of seeing or more likely hearing some Nightjars! We enjoyed a nice sunset, a Cuckoo was calling, a Woodcock zoomed past. We heard a few Nightjars but pretty distant, we also had a couple of close passes at one point one nearly landed on Margie's shoulder!! It was too dark for pics and they were too quick for me anyway, birds seemed to be hunting rather than displaying, possibly a bit late in the year for that!! Nice to hear the whip call as well as the churring! Very nice evening all round!Didn't get bitten by anything which was a bonus and in Margie's case a miracle!!! Very short video at the end, where you can actually hear some churring! The second video has the "whip call!"

Woodcock

Knepp Wander

 Went to Knepp yesterday for a mid-morning wander, was hoping to either see or at least hear a Turtle Dove, no luck on that front, but in a couple of hours we had multiple views of the Storks, great views of the usually secretive Jay, several Buzzards, a couple of Red Kites, lots of Whitethroats, Linnets, Pied Wagtails and numerous of the more common stuff! Sighting of the day was a Barn Owl that flew over our heads at 10.30! it was going like the clappers, I reckon it had probably been flushed further down the trail as it disappeared into some large Oak Trees!

Lovely Daisies near the car park by Margie

A view across the estate by Margie

Kestrel

Beasts! Didn't see any Cows today!

My Man, hope you are getting my best side!

Common Buzzard

White Stork

Nice framing!

Returning to the nest

Undercarriage down

Arrival!

Can't help thinking it is  getting a bit of a grilling!

All forgiven!

Very interesting to hear the "clacking" noise as they greeted each other and amazing to watch the head back display!

Barn Owl

Diving into the trees!

Linnet

Red Kite 

Linnet having a wash

Youngster practicing! 

Exercising those flight muscles

Pied Wagtail

Sparrow having a wash!

Goldfinch

Common Whitethroat

Jay, usually disappear before I can get the camera up!

Highly enjoyable couple of hours, loads of birds seen, it really is a special place, managed to resist going into the shop!! The new car park charges seem quite reasonable for the moment!!