In between the rain showers

 

This was the my view from the first hide at Bank Island.

2 oystercatchers, a pair of gadwall and shoveler were the only birds I could see. Just as the first rain shower started I moved to the second hide.

The water level is slowly going down, just like at North Duffield Carrs. Coots, mute swans, greylag and canada geese, shelduck, teal, mallard, gadwall and little grebe were all busy feeding. As the rain got heavier I was hoping it might bring swifts etc a bit lower but the only new bird was a tern. I could not see clearly enough to be able to identify it, and it did not stay long.

This willow warbler was sheltering in the hedge.

I decided that I would go home once the rain stopped, so I packed up my equipment and left the hide.

Just outside the hide I saw this orange tipped butterfly, so I quickly unpacked my camera. Not a brilliant shot as I was balancing things while trying to focus.

Luckily I did not put my camera away as a barn owl flew past

So I started to walk towards the first hide a lot quicker, when I came across these whitethroats

I quickly got into the hide and was looking for the barn owl when this linnet landed in a bush next to the hide

Now, where is the barn owl, blimey it is right in front of me!

I then watched it as it slowly flew around the scrape looking for prey.

Then this buzzard appeared

As the barn owl approached the buzzard, they had a bit of a scrap and I did not see either bird again. Time to go home again, and on my way back to car I noticed lots of milk maids