My best evening ever down Thames Thurrock NP;
A Barn Owl sat on the fence just down from the visitor centre. It then dropped down on prey a couple times before flying off. A photographer got some decent shots.
Previously as I ran past it I did not see it as it was hidden from my view by the bushes. I then stopped to talk to the photographer and said 'have you seen the Short-Eared Owl' only for him to say 'No but you just ran past a Barn Owl'.
Thankfully we walked back and it was still there further down.
There was another Owl only 30 or so metres from the Barn Owl in a bush. I thought it was another Barn Owl but another photographer got some photos and it was a light juvenile Short-Eared owl. It flew low over the fields.
Elsewhere there was a Kestrel hovering and a Buzzard flew over.
I'd already seen a Kingfisher on the fishing lakes and then saw another flying up to and sitting on the sluice wall of the creek. A great evening!
