Last night Clare and I headed over to Solihull Nature Reserve to see if we could spot a an owl. Last year we were told that barn owls had nested in one of the boxes and, if you were lucky, you might see one.We decide to gamble on them being there again his year and so after dinner we strolled over to the reserve. 
We arrived about 7.30pm and stayed until nearly 10pm, waiting for dusk to arrive. We didn't see a barn owl but in the couple of hours we were there we managed to see Reed Bunting, Whitethroat, Blackcap, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Swallow and Swift as well as many others. There were also a couple of others that were too quick to identify but I have a sneaky suspicion one of them was a Sedge Warbler. We heard Chiffchaff and there was a very loud Song Thrush sitting atop a tree. 
As the light faded we could hear an irate blackbird. It seemed to be coming our way. All of a sudden, swooping low over the reeds, a bird came into view and disappeared into the trees. What looked like a bird of prey was being chased by the blackbird. The poor light and speed meant we never saw it clearly enough to identify it. I'd love to know what it was.
As it stands I may never know and not long after we headed back through the park in the semi darkness and home.
