Bespoke Database.

Saturday afternoon found me "back to owling", it was a late start though as in the morning I was sat in front of the PC for a few hours playing around with a new data base that has been created for me especially for my owl records.

Imputing data couldn't be easier now, it takes a fraction of the time and the data only has to be inputted once, everything is then automatically sorted in to the relevant sections. By simply selecting one of the six tabs at the bottom all the info I want is there, specific site data, nest box info, breeding history, monthly sitings etc. No more manual counting of how many sightings I have made, it does everything automatically...........it is just brilliant!

This is a screen shot of what one of the pages looks like.

Many many thanks to Chris & Jack for creating it for me, it's just fantastic.

Anyway, I did eventually get out on Saturday afternoon, I revisited my most recently found site No 131 to try and get some daytime images. Sadly after a 2 hour wait they hadn't shown so I moved down the lane to site No 124.

Here both adult birds were located in and around the nest tree but they weren't showing too well as they were sheltering from the driving wind and rain. I waited patiently and eventually in between the showers the sun came out and a few images were obtained, my first of the adults from this site.

Site No 124 at Peating Magna  

On my way back I stopped off again at site No 131, this time the owls were out and did show very briefly, sadly though no images were possible. I won't be giving up just yet and will be returning soon.......

Powerless!!!

I located another new site tonight but it wasn't without it's problems!

I'd been out checking on a few sites over in the Countesthorpe area when I chanced upon new site No 131. I was driving back towards home along a very narrow muddy farmers track (with the windows open) when I thought I heard a couple of Little Owls calling. Normally I wouldn't have bothered stopping due to how dark it was but because it was a potential new site I was compelled to investigate.

I stopped the car and listened............yep for sure they were little Owls, I couldn't see them though as it was too dark. So, in an attempt to get them to show and come closer I tried to mimic the sound of a mouse (a pathetic sort of squeaky high pitched kissing sound really) and to my amazement it bloody worked!!!

An owl landed right next to me on a public footpath sign, no more than 3 feet away! It just sat there looking at me screeching its head off. There was absolutely no chance of an image as it was far too dark and to add to that I knew as soon as I moved it would be scared off, oh what the hell, what had I got to lose?  I raised the camera and it didn't budge, it just sat there and continued to stare......it was mesmerised by my mouse imitation!  What a great opportunity, this was one of the closest Little Owl encounters I'd ever had but the problem was I just couldn't focus on it, too close and too dark. My only chance was to get some light on to the subject, so I chanced my arm even further  and started the car, it still didn't flinch! I reversed up about 20 feet, turned the engine off and put the headlights on. That was better but still not enough light, on whet the full beam, the fog lights and even the interior lights, it still sat there. There was now just enough light and I was just about to rattle off a few images when it flew off!

I waited 10 minutes and he returned, the mouse squeak did the trick again, the conditions were still very poor, slow shutter speeds of around a second  but  at least some record shots were obtained.

Eventually it departed, I was pleased with what I had seen and the images captured so it was also time for me to go, I turned on the ignition and nothing, oh my god........the car battery was flat, my impression of the Blackpool illuminations had drained all the power.......what a tosser! It was pitch black, getting very cold and I was at least 2 miles from the nearest village! I had but one option, and it wasn't going to be a popular one, to phone up the Mrs and get her to bring the jump leads up to me, she's was not going to be very happy coming out at this time of night!  

She eventually turned up with a face like a bulldog chewing a wasp! Not a lot was said, I think I'm going to be in the dog house for a while, oh well what the hell, it was worth it!