A trip to Dosthill Lakes.

Keen to go to a site other than my usual haunts on Friday morning I went up to Dosthill Lakes to try for the Short Eared Owls that had been seen there again recently.

Got there at 11.00AM to find a cold but very bright winter's morning.I decided to walk along the bund next to the river but after an hour and a half I had seen no SEO's and had not used the camera at all.However all was not lost because the views across the RSPB reserve from the top of the hill (known as the pyramid) on this crispy clear morning were breathtaking and well worth the walk.Anyone with a powerful scope could sit there and scan the whole of the reserve.

I then retreated back to the car to eat lunch.I had finished my sandwiches and had just poured myself a drink when a couple of birds flying above the bund alongside the river caught my eye.Sort Eared Owls ? As I gabbed the bins to confirm the ID I spilt my drink all over my jeans.Absolutely wonderful!!!!!

Having cleaned my self down and trotted back to the place I'd seen them I was able to confirm that they were indeed SEO's.I was then joined by my friend Andy and we had pretty good but distant views of both the Owls as they hunted along the two westerly bunds and around the pyramid area for the next 30 minutes (1.00 to 1.30 PM).After this they became elusive and were only seen occasionally up to 3.00PM when I left.

If you are a birder and just want to see SEO's this is the place but if you are a photographer and want some good shots the place to go is Hanging Horton in Northants where there are up to 15 and they do come close.At Dosthill you have to be very lucky for them to get close but who cares because they are cracking birds.Here are a few shots take on Friday heavily cropped I'm afraid.