Grendos View

Hides de Calera (Day 2, AM)  Valley Hide - 13.10.2025

Today we are heading toward the Grendos mountain range to what’s called the “Valley Hide” primarily for vultures and other possible large raptors. The hide is located on top of a large gorge with expansive views over the gorge and countryside with the Grendos mountains in the distance.

The landscape is rugged and brown due to the prolonged period without rain, the trees autumn like sporting hues of yellow’s, orange and browns, coupled with the low early morning yellow sun creating long shadows, it could be challenging getting any descent images !

On arrival there are already several fox waiting to take advantage of the up and coming free offerings, I count five in total, some grey and a single brown animals. The fox grab what they can before the ever vigilant vultures arrive, one vulture arrives then more and more, it’s a free for all a feeding frenzy !

The best photo option is to wait and just watch the spectacle and when things calm down a bit you can pick your shot. Both Griffon and Black vultures are present the BV less so in number's maybe just three. Raven’s dance around the periphery trying to grab what they can cheekily harassing the vultures, the fox by this time have given up and sit well back occasional making a dash for a morsel.

Apart from several Red Kites zooming in picking the last remaining offerings the activity is over after maybe just twenty minuets, the vultures happy now just to sit and look out over the vastness of the countryside looking for the next opportunity. 

This afternoon it’s Hawfinch !…wow can’t wait.  

Fox 

Griffon Vulture

Black Vulture

Raven

Spain Time !

Hides de Calera (Day 1) - 12.10.2025

I’ve been looking forward to this trip to Hides de Calera to photograph the Iberian Lynx based in central Spain for some time, visiting earlier wasn’t really an option as they book up around eighteen months in advance, so with all arrangements in place, flights booked I'm off on a late flight to Madrid.

I’m pretty much doing what I've done previously staying overnight in a hotel close to the airport, then a pickup late afternoon the following day by HDC so plenty of time to relax before the drive down to Talavera. I’m staying for a week in a two start hotel quite basic and similar to that on the last trip to Villacarnas.

All checked into the Talavera “Hilton”…not ! ....it's a quick briefing from Jose the operator stating it's the Iberian Lynx hide first up in the morning. Now the following day feedback we are getting from a remote camera is showing the female cat and a cub are at the location, the anticipation builds.

A clearing in the forest has several wooden hides which will be home for the next few hours, I’ve been in better but they do a job. The female is laying down out in the open just in front of the hide giving some clear shots, then out of the tree line the cub comes bounding out. It’s a leisurely shoot over the next hour or so then in a flash the female grabs a rabbit and disappears off into the forest not to reappear for the next seven hours !

Now late afternoon the female cat reappears walking slowly up the forest track occasionally looking back to the cub that's following up behind. For the next couple of hours both cats just rest up, it's a case of just picking the most interesting pose on offer.

And that’s it for the first day, a long day with a long period of inaction. Tomorrow it's the “Valley Hide” primarily for vultures and others things, watch this space.

Iberian Lynx

Iberian Lynx - Cub

It's Windy !

Inner Farne - 04.07.2025

To finish up on the blog post on the recent Farne’s Islands trip. 

I’m back on Inner Farne although the star species on Inner Farne are the puffins the other major attraction you’ll encounter are Arctic Terns, but it’s easy to overlook other stuff rushing about in the brief one hour slot. I’ve manage a second trip so hopefully I can catch up with the other less common species missed first time round.

At the jetty area a Ringed Plover has set up territory, it’s giving the tern chicks a hard time relentlessly attacking any that ventures near it’s nest, it landing on rocks quite close but slightly obscured by a rope, I don't want to move and flush it and I rattle off a few shots, time to move on and spend some time with the terns.

As I walk up the track a pipit calls and lands on a post...it's a Rock Pipit, a few pairs I'm told breed close by. It only stays a few seconds but it's facing in the other direction, I'm holding off pressing the shutter button and then it turns...boom !

This year the Arctic Terns are mainly located only around the church buildings, sitting on walls they are very vocal adding to the the cacophony of noise, just keep your wits about you avoiding the arial attack, oh and the “white stuff”

The wind’s up today much stronger than yesterday so much that I’ve had to remove the lens hood to keep the lens from swing about. After more of the same shots I'm finishing off in the last remaining minuets with the puffins. And that’s it....time over and back to the boat.

See you next year.

Ringed Plover

Rock Pipit

Arctic Tern

Atlantic Puffin

Grey Seal

Shall I, or Not !

Lancashire - 24.07.2025

It's been a couple of years since I last visited this location to try for images of fledgling Long-eared Owls one of our most iconic and rarest owls. 

I thought about a visit several times but never managed the five mile drive, to many distractions, holidays, maintenance, fitness regime trying to be super fit, I might just do that half marathon I've been threatening.

It's my day off so on the spur of the moment I've decided to make the trip to see what’s on offer, normally I would schedule a visit late afternoon when the young start calling the adults to feed them, but it's late morning so that won't work so instead I’ve deciding just to take the "bins" and the thermal imager leaving the heavy camera gear at home (a mistake ?) and do just a rece, if I locate any fledglings I can aways make a return visit. 

It's late in the breeding season and calling may have stopped also the owls are more likely to be active early evening but I'm happy to visit as it’s quiet the weathers kind in some nice countryside. Following a route I’ve used previously scanning with the thermal...nothing, then my thermal imagers battery runs flat, so no calling, no thermal it's scanning only and start making my way back towards the car.

One location that I’ve not tried previously that might be worth a look and it's also close to the car so give it a go, I often find myself just standing taking in my surroundings just observing and out the corner of my eye just partially hidden sat on a dead branch is a young fledgling owl, I’m surprised by its size it seems much bigger than an adult, it's a beauty and it's out in the open !…doh....NO CAMERA !…big mistake, it’s just an opportunity not to miss....so the decision is made….return home and get the gear !

Now an hour later I'm back and the owl is still where I left it sat happy preening occasionally distracted by butterflies flitting pasted. Slowly working into favourable unobstructed position the camera's is in overdrive even in the UK climate the camera still has a tendency to over heat. Now some forty five minuets later I've managed to amass some 1,600 images on the card, then the owl flys to adjacent pine tree, a quick look with the bins the fledgling owl is obstructed sat well inside the tree and not really worth any further attention, time to call it a day and leave the owl to get on with it’s day.

Surprisingly it's been very productive morning visit albeit a little hectic in the end returning home getting the camera gear, next time I won't leave it so late in the season, and aways take your camera !

Below are a few of the many images taken on the day, no crops, no extender just the “big white” as I've well over 1K of images I may well add more shortly.

Until the next time.

Long-eared Owl

The Islands

Inner Farne - 03.07.2025

Today it’s the islands, the southern most jewel in the crown sea bird breeding colony, specifically Inner Farne. Gone are the days when you could spend four hours on the islands including Staple Island but since the Bird Flue epidemic the only option now is Inner Farne for a quick one hour dash.

Over the years I’ve had mixed success with boat operators failing land on the islands due to wave conditions which have always been mono hulled boats, so make sure when visiting you choose an operator using twin hulled cats which are far more stable. I’ve posted below an image to help your choice a good one !

First up is a cruise around the outer islands passing Longstone Lighthouse around Staple Island “Pinnacles” rock stacks and back to Inner Farne for the one hour visit. On this trip I've probably seen more Atlantic Grey Seals than in the past with maybe well over sixty individuals, at this time of year a fair few have already made the trip to join the vast numbers gathering on the sand banks on the mainland side of Holy Island (Lindisfarne)

First stop after landing on Inner Farne is always to head up to the cliffs at the lighthouse ignoring the temptation of the terns for another time, this way you get the best location for the best shots before the reminder of the boat passengers arrive. On may way up I spot Steve Race having a quick chat but I have no time for socialising as it's back to the action.

Puffin’s are the order of the day and are everywhere resting often with full bills of Sand Eels, a few Shags, Guillemot’s and even less Razorbill’s. Using the “big white” I’m looking for interesting uncluttered static shots. The light troublesome with bright sunlight then cloud, then bright sunlight, you know in-out, in-out !

Tomorrow I’ll probably try the light weight zoom setup for a few tern flight shots and any anything else of interest. All too soon the one hour slot is over shooting well over 2K of images on the card, I’m sure there’s a few “keepers” in there somewhere.

Seahouse Harbour

The Pinnacle's - Staple Island

Atlantic Puffin