Feb 18th-20th

Somewhere in Lincolnshire

Based in Scotland, but doing a survey in Lincolnshire, go figure. In actual fact it dosen't take much longer to get here than it does to drive from Glasgow to Mull of Kintyre.
I saw a couple of species that I haven't seen for a long time since leaving Englandshire. The site itself turned up a Little Owl, perched on a telegraph pole as I drove off one evening. Other nice birds inlcuded a Juv Hen Harrier hunting the farmland, 2 Peregrine and also very nice to see red listed farmland birds such as Grey Partridge and Corn Bunting.
The extended daylight hours meant some after work activities were also possible; a dusk visit to Blacktoft Sand RSPB produced a Flypast from a Bittern and at least 4 Marsh Harriers. Along with Little Owl, haven't seen a Bittern in about 5 years.  
I generally don't twitch but the lure of a Two-barred Crossbill, a species I have never seen, was too much to resist. The bird has been making erratic appearances at the Forest Pines Golf Resort, Broughton and I dipped in the short time I had available. Around 12 Common Crossbills were seen, mostly flying over.

Unfortunately the only Crossbill I saw perched didn't have wing bars.