Stonechats at King's Meads

30th October 2026

After a most successful evening at King's Meads on Thursday, I thought I would try my luck again on a beautifully sunny evening. I set up in the same location and waited for the Barn Owl to appear. On Thursday it appeared at 4pm, but tonight not until 4.40pm, and don't know whether it was late coming out or had been somewhere else first.

Also, unlike Thursday, it covered a fairly wide area but at no time came close, coupled with the fact that the light was fading. At about 4.50pm a second owl appeared.

So no luck tonight, but I did manage to photograph a pair of Stonechats by way of compensation. 

Tonight was a reminder that Barn Owls are so unpredicatable, and we need to remember that their time of appearance is more to do with how hungry they are, rather than the time of day. The Stonechats were a welcome distraction.

News of the owls had attracted a few more people tonight, and in addition to myself and Stuart Fox, we welcomed Liz Cox from Ware, and Liz and Steve from Hertford.

I'll be back!!!!