Day Owl Revisited

Greater Manchester - 6.11.18

Having taken many hundreds of images of the owl these are just a few more that I thought worth posting. Flight shots on the other hand were more difficult to shoot as the light in the afternoon required shooting at a very high iso, the owl also kept well away when it was in flight never allowing any decent close shots

Short-eared Owl

Always keeping its distance when in flight you can sometimes be tempted to over crop the image. The next two images both taken at iso 6400 would normally produce a poor quality image with this camera but I think it's ok in this instance due to the busy diffused grass background

Below is a image of a pellet the owl has cough up placed on a post to photograph using the iPhone

I've opened up the pellet showing fur and various bones of some kind of mammal, the skull is on the right and the large bone in the middle is the jaw bone 

Some research on the Barn Owl Trust web site I came across the interesting "contents of owl pellets" page on which it shows the skull of a Field Vole amongst other parts, compared the skull in the above image its identical.

Christmas Goose

Rishton, Lancashire - 24.12.18

I've managed a couple of hours out this morning before hitting the shops this afternoon for some late Xmas shopping.....eek !

I'm on the lookout for a small group of Eurasian White Fronted Geese, a winter visitor to the UK from Northern Russia largely to South West Scotland that's turned up quite close to home. Currently associating with a large group of Canada Geese it should be easy to pick out the smaller grey geese on this fantastically sunny Christmas Eve morning.

Leaving the home village I soon see one of the resident Barn Owls in the early morning sunshine quartering the moorland edge, I decide to stop a little further along the road and get the camera out only to loose sight of the owl. Onwards and upwards.

Arriving at the location where the geese were last seen feeding in the field I'm expecting to see them as soon as I park-up...but it's never that easy !...a scan reveals nothing and I spend the next forty five or so minuets weighed down by the "big white" and tripod searching the immediate area with little success, time to try another location.

The geese have been alternating between a small reservoir and nearby fields so minus all the gear I'm going light and heading for the canal area. Now on a small rise with views along the valley I locate a group of Canada Geese feeding in fields adjoining the canal, a quick scan I soon pick out the White Fronted Geese, three adults and six juveniles, but with time running out before my shopping duties its a quick run back to the car for the gear.

On the tow path I'm as near as I can get without disturbing the ever alert geese, even the occasional walker is enough to get their attention sticking their heads up and honking alarm calls to each other. It's a grand day with clear blue sky and with the sun directly behind producing some nice image detail, the only issue I haven't a lot of time and the white fronts are mixed in amongst the Canada's preventing clean shot.

Now with the best shots I'm likely to get in the short time available something spooks the geese and half the group take to the air including the White Fronted Geese and depart into the distance thinking that's it the sessions over, well not quite as the geese amazingly all land on the canal.

Chancing my luck I walk along the tow path to probably within six metres of the geese I guess secure in the fact that they were on water, they are way too close and shooting directly into the sun the possibility of getting any decent images remote, at least it made the encounter interesting getting really close.

Time to head for the shops...wish me luck. Happy new year to you all.

Eurasian White Fronted Goose

Return Of The Diver

Marine Lake, West Kirby - 16.12.18

As a former Scuba Diver you always...PLAN THE DIVE - DIVE THE PLAN, and that's something what I was expecting would happen today, that the Sunday sailing club would occupy the centre of the lake moving the diver closer in and at one end of the lake.

I'm optimistic about getting some better images of the diver, the wind has dropped and the sun's doing its best endeavours to make an appearance. Grabbing the bins a quick scan I can see a group of about ten Brent Geese usually out on the estuary at one end of the lake, just in front of me cruising up and down is a male Red-breasted Merganser with it's punk straggly feathered head diving for fish so close in fact that I decide to grab the camera and get some images before getting down to the serious business.

The light, oh the light is so flat and grey making the water almost mirror like lacking any colour, I shoot a couple of test shots eventually settling for one and a third stops of over exposure, I change the white balance from auto to cloudy and even push my luck in lowering the shutter speed to improve iso-image quality, any other adjustments will have to be down to the magic of Lightroom.

As on my two previous visits the diver keeps to the centre of the lake but that doesn't last long as around 10.0am Sunday sailors start appearing at the south end of the lake, sails are flapping in the wind, shouts of excitement and a RIB charges up and down the lake. An air horn can be heard blasting out the start of a race which untimely is all too much for the diver and it moves off out the way of the circulating flotilla relocating to the Hilbre end. I like it when a plan come together.

Over the next couple of hours its cat and mouse anticipating where the divers is likely to appear eventually deciding the best course of action is just to sit on one of the pontoons and wait for the diver to come to you.

You never know where the diver will appear next, diving in the distance only to appear meters away just out of eye shot, swing the camera round just as the diver disappears again. To add to my woes  the diver appears close by just as I'm changing the media card, then on another occasion when I'm changing the battery...hey ho !

Its been a good morning with some close encounters and images...but oh the light !

As a foot note. It's now the 20.12.18 and the last date the diver was reported was the 16.12.18 so possible its now departed.

Great Northern Diver

Diver Time Again

Marine Lake, West Kirby - 13.12.18

Just a brief post on my continued quest for improved images of the GND. Although these two images were taken at a distance a little nearer than on my previous visit they still lack the detail I am after, so my quest continues.

Being a person of leisure I've always targeted my visits during the week in the hope that there would be less disturbance by walkers along the sea wall path hopefully getting the diver close in, but that scenario never seems to work out as the diver generally remains in the centre of the lake, but I have a cunning plan.

Whilst photographing Waxwings in Chester I had a conversation with another Tog who showed me some mega shots of the diver, he stated the best time to visit is on Sunday when the local sailing club are out as they sail down the middle of the lake....Oh really !! the diver then moves out of the way of the sailors near the side...Oh really !!

Right I'm on my way again Sunday...watch this space

Great Northern Diver

What's This App ?

Greyhound Retail Park, Chester - 13.12.18

I'm at West Kirby trying to get better images of the Great Northern Diver...no joy there, its around 1.0 pm and the Whats App Bird Alert Service pings, Waxwings are currently feeding on Rowan berries outside John Lewis on a retail park in Chester only thirty minuets away...I'm on my way.

As I drive into the retail park straight away I can see around five Waxwings sat in the usual top of tree location. Parking up under the tree, no leg work required ! the Waxwings fly to a nearby Rowan tree, it's the only Rowan tree in the local area and surprised they still persist in return for what now seems like very few berries remaining, the tree is sure to be stripped shortly with the birds moving on.

Even thou it's still around 2.0 pm the sun is starting to disappear arcing around the side of a building throwing the tree into shade, I recon I may have about fifteen minuets remaining to get some shots before the loss of light, and in the meantime the Waxwings remain sat in the tree.

The light is now passed its optimum best and I decide to hit the motorway for home happy at least I have a couple of ok images, the first of the season for me.

Waxwing

Festival In Gwent

Festival Park, Ebbw Vale - 9.12.18

I've been aware of the Wood Duck a North American escapee breeding wild in some locations around the country but never been lucky to see one unlike the similar Mandarin Duck which is quite common in the Forest of Dean, so when news of this colourful Yank appearing quite near to the FOD hit the airways I though I'd have a go for some images.

Wood Duck, or its American name Carolina Wood Duck is closely related to Mandarin Duck even thou it originates from North America and the Mandarin from Central Asia. Originally escaped from wildfowl collections there are now an estimated twenty breeding pairs throughout the UK (BTO-2017) so still quite a rare duck and probably not yet sustainable in the wild being supplemented by the continuation of escapee ducks.

This morning I'm on my way to a small regeneration park in Ebbw Vale not that far from where I'd seen the Rock Thrush last year. It's dark when I set off on the fifty minuet drive arriving just after 8.0am but with the light levels still a little low for photography. Straight away I pickup two Wood Ducks a male and female sat on a fishing platform peg but they soon depart flushed by an early morning dog walker.

Now with the sun breaking through eight ducks fly in the male's very vocal with their distinctive call landing in the ideal location on some great yellow water reflected from the reed pond edge. I manage maybe fifty shots only for the ducks too fly off again....doh !.

An hour has now passed and the Woods Ducks are back this time on the far side on the pond under some overhanging trees again with some great water colour. I take my chance and head onto a nearby fishing platform less than twenty meters away from the ducks, this time the Wood Ducks seen more at ease images giving plenty of opportunity for images. Now in some nice diffused sunlight I make the most of the encounter shooting maybe 1K of images, a quick back of the camera review I'm happy with my efforts.

All too soon the session is ended by some good old fashion Welsh driving rain and I resort to a little birding. With the rain now stopped a local birder with a camera has a little trick up his sleeve, he's throwing grain to the Mallards and the Wood Ducks join in, frantic feeding ensue less than a meter away, interesting to watch but no use to getting any decent images with all the squabbling for food.

My time is up, it's been a long time since I was last in Ebbw Vale way back in my working twenties and I'm always interested to revisit.

Time to head back for my long overdue breakfast.

Wood Duck / Carolina Wood Duck (male)

Wood Duck (female)

Wood Duck (female)