Bombing Owl!

Made a return visit this evening to new site 106 that was located last night when I was out with Tony, it took a good half an hour chatting with the landowner before permission was granted for a quick venture into the potential nest tree field. I settled down a good 40 yards or so away and started a systematic scan of the tree. It didn't take long before the little owl was located and a couple of quick images were taken. It wasn't until I viewed the images that I realised there was actually a pair.......what a result!!!!

Site 106 - Church Spinney - Kirkby Mallory

The views weren't great as they remained quite high up in the tree and often behind the branches and twigs but I did managed this unusual image of one of the birds dropping to a lower limb.

Dive bomber!

Once my allotted time at this site had expired it was time to move on............but where to??? As I hadn't seen the owls over at site 88 and it was local it was an easy choice. The owls at this site are tough to see as the nest tree is "an island" and very difficult to approach without being spotted. I decided that once I got to the site a tactic of keeping my distance was to be employed......and it paid off!!! After a bit of patience the little blighter was located crouching down behind a broken off limb. He obviously thought I couldn't see him but the picture below tells a different story! 

It wasn't long before the sun started to set, now this could be an opportunity to get that image that I have been so desperate to capture, little owl in the late evening golden glow (yeah the one that I failed at so successfully a couple of nights ago!) Although the shadows didn't help and I didn't actually nail the golden glow I was after, never the less I was well pleased with my final result of a near miss!

 Site 88 - The Park - Enderby. Golden glow..........nearly!

Time was now pressing on so it was a quick drive over to Countesthorpe to pick up my mate John, we had arranged a late visit to "owl avenue". We were well rewarded with out wait into the near dark hours with some excellent views of a superb pair of barn owls..............oh and a single  little owl hunting.

Tomorrow fox cubs are on the agenda, watch this space............ 

106 & 107!

Got invited over to Barwell tonight by my mate Tony to investigate a potential little owl site he thinks he has located. Unfortunately no owls were seen but I must admit the site looks very owly. We then moved on to another site I wanted to show Tony that i thought would be idea for his digi-scope set up. We had only been there 10 minutes when the male owl showed in the nest tree, although distant Tony managed some really good images with his scope set on 30 x magnification. 

Whilst Tony was busy taking more images I started to scan a row of willow trees in the opposite direction, I located a little owl sitting very low down on the right hand side of the main trunk. Was this a new site???? I couldn't be sure as it was quite close to the one we were already watching. But my suspicions were soon confirmed when a second owl appeared in the nest tree at the first site that Tony was still watching. BINGO come on in new site 106!!!!!

Site 106 - Church Spinney - Kirkby Mallory

Soon after I made my way back home to pick up the landrover as there was a couple of sites that I wanted to visit that I hadn't been to for a while. My first stop off was a site at Narborough, here the male bird show really well but the shadows under the trees didn't help with the photography.

Site 51 - Flash Farm - Narborough

Next stop was a site over at Gilmorton, again the male bird showed nicely but he would just not come down from his high perch for some better images.

Site 92 - Holt Farm - Gilmorton

The sun was just starting to set so it was time to quickly move on to "owl avenue" I was hoping the barn owls would show again as they did a couple of nights ago. Just as I pulled off there was this horrid rumbling noise! I was full of dread as I knew what it was...........A PUNCTURE!!!!!!! Bloody hell, it was nearly dark and I was in the middle of nowhere. Luckily all the necessary tools were on board (although I had not previously checked they were there!). Whilst I was busily sorting out the spare a guy came by and stopped. He was a mechanic from the local village and he very kindly helped with getting the wheel changed.....what a gent he was!

By now it was too dark to see the barn owls, so home was the only choice. Normally I would have turned right at the bottom of the lane but I turned left as it would be the quicker way home. And what a good gob I did, 400 yards down the lane guess what I chanced upon?.........yep you guessed it, a little owl!!!! He was in a roadside tree balancing on an outer branch overhanging the road, it would have been impossible to miss him!!. They say every cloud has a silver lining and tonight mine was in the form of little owl site No 107, obviously it was too dark for any images, guess where I will be going over the weekend......?