Short-eared Owl: With Dawn having plans and myself being at a loos end I dropped Damion a text and arranged a day out at the 10m high tide at Parkgate.
Upon arrival we walked the length of the promenade and got our best views of a hunting male hen harrier opposite the Old Quay Stonehouse pub.
As the incoming tide flooded the marsh, the voles were flushed from their homes and move ever closer to the promenade, resulting in a feeding frenzy amongst the owls, harriers and resident kestrels.
The extent of the spectacle is dependent on the weather conditions on the day - low pressure and a strong northwesterly wind are the best to drive the tide in fully, but at this time of year and in these weather conditions we didn't expect the high tide to come right up to the wall.
Still we watched as the water ooze over the marsh and the hunting raptors feeding along he waters edge.
Heading back up to the Old Baths car park we counted six great white egrets, two marsh harrier and had our first glimpse of a male hen harrier that ghosted past us in the distance.
After an hour or so at the Old Baths car park we headed off the get some food and the famous Parkgate chippy and when we returned the ow;ls appeared.
We counted five owls then another two came in making seven in total, several of which came right close in to the car park wall.
We had some better views of ring-tailed hen harriers as the evening drawn in, but the short-eared owls stole the show.
If you're patient and you know where to look, you can usually see the birds of prey flying over the marsh, but a high tide pushes everything closer, giving even better views and more chance of exciting action.
Marsh Harrier: High tide on the spectacular Dee Estuary is not to be missed.
We counted five owls then another two came in making seven in total, several of which came right close in to the car park wall.
