Martin Mere

Friday 15th July 2022

I started with great enthusiasm this morning and managed to do three hours on the garden, filling two bins. I've started to reclaim the corner that had become an overgrown jungle. 

Unfortunately my enthusiasm didn't last far into the afternoon! I have progressed with my second photo reflection booklet though. 

This evening I had booked a "Barn Owl and Bat evening" at Martin Mere. It was the barn owl bit that attracted me. They have four nesting pairs who are currently feeding young. I was hoping for a photo. The evening started at 8.30pm. After spending a bit of time in the main hide we went out on to the Mere, somewhere visitors aren't usually allowed to go. It was good to get this view from the opposite side to usual. 

A couple of barn owls were spotted but they were so far away I could hardly see them even through the camera. I just about managed to see the Marsh Harrier but it was still too far away to photograph. We moved back into the main area to watch for bats. It was fascinating to hear them on the detectors and in one of the locations we saw quite a lot. We then moved back to the Mere to listen for and spot a different species of bat that hunts on the water. The evening ended by viewing moths caught in the trap. See extra