Not wanting to spend the whole day listening to Breast Pumps and discussing meconium I snuck out to an area quite close that I thought might be good for Wheatear perhaps. In a new site who knows what you might discover?

Having parked up  close to Scammendon Dam which is on the edge of Saddleworth Moor, I made my way with anticipation down the valley side towards the water. It was hard going, the moor was boggy and riverlets of run-off water meandered past rocks and the remains of ancient walls. The grass and sedge was almost waist high, hiding all this water and debris. Suddenly to my right and not too far away a large bird of prey swooped around and settlled in the long grass. My first reaction was Harrier and then perhaps a "light form" Buzzard. But my luck was in, the bird was down and even though I couldn't see it I knew it was there and I was going to get a good sight when it rose. I hurried closer through the rough, stumbling as I went, sorting the camera and tripod, readying for a shot if the possibility came. Suddenly it did! The bird appeared with massive flaps and started to "quarter" the filed in front. My thought process was, "Barn Owl———- then no it's too big———– then no it's too dark."I was Impressed by the wing flaps and size. I got my first real look of the head and realised I was seeing my first Short Eared Owl.

I have a brand new camera, a  Pentax K7 with far better sensor and performance and it really came in to it's own now. In fact the first bird picture with this new, very expensive bit of kit was a great shot of my first ever Short Eared Owl.