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THORPE MARSH: Barn Owls

7th June 2012

Another successful visit to Thorpe.  On my first lap around the Marsh Harrier that had previously been so elusive flew up off the marsh and effortlessly glided past and off to the railway line, where it proceeded to hunt up and down the line.  Further round I caught a glimpse of one of the pair of Garden Warblers that has taken up residence, and a lone Oystercatcher was on the shingle spit.

Later on I spent some time looking over the marsh, and was rewarded with a hunting Barn Owl near Bungalow Lane.  At one point it disappeared from sight, and I thought I had refound it perched up in a tree, only to discover that this was a second bird!  This second Barn Owl flew over the broad, past the Marsh Harrier (now showing at will!) and completed a circuit of the marsh, ending up near the first.  Watching them hunt over the glowing Yellow Flag Irises was an exceptional birding moment.  A hunting Fox along the back of the scrape added some orange to the yellow.

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