BGBW IV

Yesterday was a good day, even though I didn't get out snapping.  The sun shone, a couple of nice walks with the dog, the first rabbits of the year were out and about and we added to our village tally of bird species with a pair of goldcrest peeping away from a conifer.  Don't get me wrong I know they will have been around we just haven't seen them - no conifers in the garden.
It was also big garden bird watch day.  I haven't kept note of entries from the last couple of years, but looking further back we seem to have much the same mix of species each year - just with some variation in numbers.

This year house sparrows topped the bill (no pun intended) with 9, and it's nice to know they seem to be at least holding their own.  There may well have been more, but it's a struggle to count, especially now the bamboo has grown on.
Collared doves next on 8 - some years we have had up to  20 at a time,

 then the ever hungry starlings,

 greenfinches - again a good find given the problems they're having

 and blue tits - all on 6.

 It was nice to find a blackcap after a couple of barren years - Kay told me the other week she'd seen one around.

In search of snow .......

It's hard to believe that the last time I posted about the UK was early November, but a combination of a holiday, lousy weather and other commitments (including walking the dog!) has meant photo trips have been limited.  I failed dismally to snap the Slimbridge bitterns, and the tawny owl that took up temporary residence in one of Rich barn owl boxes.  The foxes are around, but making use of the long nights to avoid anything but the trail cam, and there's just no roadkill to pull in the buzzards.

So last weekend I devised cunning plan and we went to walk the dog by the sea.  Good chance to socialise her, you see - she's a rescue border collie, so has her issues!  As there are no beaches to speak of nearby a trip over to Burnham on a day with a piercing wind turned out to be a good move.  The wooden lighthouse is quite photogenic (or would be if you took the time to compose something arty),

and the dog behaved herself with some distraction from an increasingly soggy and sandy ball.

I'd swear I wasn't the only one keeping an eye out for the bird, but I knew the sky wasn't the best place to seek this little gem.

That said I was beginning to fear the high numbers of people may have put off even this tame creature, but in time ...bingo.

In classic snow bunting tradition it was really very tolerant of me and my lens, although the last shot is heavy crop - I'm not going to push it that far.

The only downside was it's choice of location.  I wanted low angle views so there was no choice.  Let's just say the dog wasn't the only one with a soggy ball - I had 2!

Florida

A few posts to come  HERE or some pictures HERE from a recent trip to Florida....

Here are a few tasters:

Owls at Aust

A backwards day today.  The forecast sunshine didn't materialise until midday, but that at least was the only saving grace of my failed attempt to see the local snow bunting.  The sightings websites are great, but there is a major frustration in seeing reported sightings of birds at the start of the week that you know will be gone by the time you have the chance to try and see them.
When the sun did come out I had to make the decision whether to drive the long way round to Aust Warth to look for the short eared owls.  With the old Severn bridge closed for repairs a journey of 10-15 minutes becomes a trip of 30-35.  Still it looked like the sun might hold so I went.
Sometimes they appear earlier in the afternoon, but today it was the usual 4pm.  I was sitting in the car listening to the football (I'd been there about 90 mins), hanging out of the window, when I suddenly realised I was looking at an owl sitting on a log.  I never saw it fly in - for all I know it had been resting up in the long grass.  Anyway we were then treated to a show by 2 owls (a third was reported) in reasonable, but dying light.  In order to get some closer views I cranked up the ISO and hoped.
A few shots below starting with an experiment in black and white, and there are more on the website.

A lovely way to spend the last hour of the day.

While the cat's away ....... (2)

After a quick bacon and egg butty at the cycle centre I had to decide where to go next.  As I needed to visit Slimbridge it was a bit of a no-brainer, but I wasn't sure there would be too much to see.  There were the usual residents :
a curious jackdaw

and a young woodpigeon

but not too much else in the way of wildlife.  I wandered into the pond zone - from my childhood I've had a love of things aquatic, even to the extent of considering marine biology as a career.  Instead I went another way, spent many hours fishing but never did learn to scuba dive.  Still, like rockpooling, whenever I find dipping ponds, etc I find myself drawn to stare in.  There were the usual snails ....

a few sticklebacks ( a heavy crop - but I'm quite pleased with this one with the spines clearly visible) .......

and even the odd insect perhaps egg-laying?

So did you guess the clue I posted yesterday?  It's the egg shape just above the waterline.

As I walked up to this particular pool there was a distinct and frankly unmistakable 'plop'. Have you got it yet?

Go on - more 'eggs' and a tail!  Yes a water vole (and poo).

Sitting around for a while it became clear there were at least two juveniles and an adult.  I took some more shots, and had such fun I've been back a couple of times since.  The background isn't the easiest for the most picturesque shits, but they were quite unconcerned by my presence if I stayed still.  I couldn't believe they were wild, but an email exchange with a very helpful lady called Sue Porter confirmed they were wild visitors, although they had only known one was using the site.  At one time on the Slimbridge site as a whole they had just 5 breeding pairs, now numbers are estimated at 300, and they are spreading out into the local canal.
You do need to be patient - like the voles at Cromford canal feeding comes in short bursts, but I can assure you you will never get closer views.  At times I could have just scooped them out as they swam past, and the youngsters could be watched swimming underwater.  It was a a bit like watching young grebes when they first try and swim - all energy and bluster, but not too much grace.
A few of the following shots are slightly cropped to remove extraneous vegetation, but the first couple for example are full frame.  Love it.

More pictures on the website.  I hope they don't get too popular and then disturbed, but they seem quite habituated to people and the last time I was there about half a dozen other photographers appeared when I was snapping.  I'd been there about 3 hours by then though - sore knees!

From Mammals

While the cat's away ....... (1)

I can't believe how long has passed since my last post.  A combination of the weather, a dog to walk and other commitments has meant time out with the DSLR has been quite limited.  I've got a lot of snaps taken with my little pocket digital camera on dog walks, and they will make the light of day in the end, but it was when Kay was heading north a couple of weekends ago, with the dog, that I grabbed the chance to get out and about again.

Starting on the Friday night I wandered up to Rich's field to see how his barn owls were getting on.  They've had 2 clutches this year with 5 looking likely to fledge from the second.  As usual there was nothing to see during the light, but as dusk really fell I heard the unmistakable hiss of a barnie, then a second.  Moments later I had one of those 'never forget it' moments as the two owls flitted around me, like moths to a candle and only 10 feet over my head.  I was standing in full view (nowhere near the nest box I should add), leaning on a fencepost, so they were obviously interested to see just what I was.  One landed on another fencepost, but the lack of a moon meant it was just a white shadow to my straining eyes.  Brilliant.

The next morning I was up well before the lark to go and remind myself how frustrating it is trying to watch rutting fallow deer on the Forest.  I did get a few glimpses of deer in the middle distance, but none in photo range.  At one point I saw the back of a deer a little nearer in the bracken and waited for the head to pop up.  Then another back, and another.  Still no heads - in fact not even a neck.  Slowly the penny dropped.  In my defence I haven't seen boar too often, and the bracken was quite high.  

The owl theme continued.  When I first arrived it was still too dark to try and head into the woods - no moon, remember?  Hearing a few tawny owls 'kewicking' I tried a 'twoo'.  Probably coincidence, but an owl flew overhead.  Just call me the owl whisperer!

So there we go, instalment one and not a picture in sight.  There are some, I promise in instalment 2 though.  I think this might be my first ever snapless post, so here's a clue to what's to come - I'll be impressed if you get it.

Buzzard revisited

In the weeks since my last morning with the buzzards we had seen them twice feeding on dead rabbits in the same area.  Sadly there is a fair bit of myxy around at present and that morning whilst walking the dog I'd seen one of the rabbits out feeding in broad daylight, eyes fully closed.  So I had fewer reservations about looking to try the baiting out again.  Having found another fresh roadkill - very near where the other had been - I went back to the same field.  I wanted to try and get some closer shots , but to get the right angle my last vantage point wouldn't work, as it was about 6 feet above the field.  So this time I did use a hide, but my 'low level' one (home made from a cloche frame and less than 3 feet high).

The birds did seem more wary, not just the hide, but the rabbit was only about 20 paces away this time, probably half the previous distance.  Eventually though one glided down from the big oak tree, not a single flap of it's wings until it landed.  

It was a superb experience to watch this beautiful bird at such a close range - just right for full-frame shots too (although I'm frustrated that I clipped the wing in the first shot).  

One surprise though was the number of wasps down feeding on the carcass.  Never seen that before - although thinking about it you could see a few flying around on some the last set of pictures.