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THIS WAS A NICE SURPRISE
The February edition of Birdwatch arrived yesterday and I immediately recognised the image of a pair of wild Tawny Owls as one of mine.
This was the culmination of a project that started several months before.
I set up a trail camera to record the activities of a fox which was going to be my next project. When I checked the camera in the morning, I was surprised to see it had captured a Tawny Owl on a post where I photograph Buzzards.
The fox project was put on hold and the Tawny Owl project began.
Over the coming weeks, I built up a number of images, including some dramatic flight shots. Two good friends and top photographers, Paul Snellgrove and Andy Bertram, would often join me. They also got some great shots.
One night in the Autumn, a male called from right above my hide. Almost immediately, a female replied. I had a pair of Tawny Owls.
Driving home in the dark, I was already planning the next shot. The next morning, I removed the perch and replaced it with one that I hoped both birds would land on.
The night when it all came together was very special. The female (on the left), arrived silently in the dark. Almost immediately, the male called from a few feet above me. The female answered and the male took off and flew past her. He called again and I could see her head following him. I don't know how many times he flew past the viewfinder calling to her but it seemed to go on forever.
I felt certain he would call her off and if I hadn't already got plenty of shots, my nerve would have cracked and I would have hit the button and got a shot of the female.
Suddenly she looked up and the male floated down in the darkness like a huge moth on silent wings. They looked at each other - I gave a tiny squeak between my teeth and saw the heads turn. I took a shot, the flashes fired and it was all over.
Technically, it was one of the easiest shots I took of these fantastic birds. What made it special was all the planning it took to achieve it. It is still one of my all time favourite shots.
We are pleased to announce that the Brazil – Atlantic Coastal Forest II 2016 tour has now been officially confirmed with a Small Group Supplement. Pax who book 1 of 4 remaining spaces may also go ahead and book their international flights.
Brazil - Atlantic Coastal Forest II
13th to 20th November 2016 (8 days)
4 spaces available
Visit goo.gl/EmNZTp to find out more!
A first winter White-rumped Sandpiper at Slimbridge WWT - Gloucestershire showing the attenuated rear end & long primary projection evident in many Neartic waders.
We get quite a lot of birds in our garden - sparrows, blackbirds, thrushes, finches, wagtails, robins and sometimes pidgeons. Wiggins likes to watch them, but he can't be doing with seagulls or magpies - he barks at them and chases them off!
Zumbador Grande (Anthracothorax dominicus) Antillean Mango.
Libando las flores de a alpargata (Consolea moniliformis)
Parque Nacional Francisco Camaño. Azua Rep. Dominicana.
This Towhee flew right in front of me as I was looking for Warblers in a tree nearby...Unlike their breeding colors the Eastern Towhee has more brown and less black coloring in the fall..
The Lake Fogliano covers an area of approximately 4 square km, in the northern outskirt of Latina, and with a maximum depth of up to 2/3 metres.
The lake is fed by the Cicerchia stream and has an outlet to the sea through the Foce del Duca. Since 1978, it has been part of the nature reserve of the Circeo National Park, and is classified as a marshy area of international importance.
An ideal habitat for the stopover, wintering and nesting of a large number of migratory bird species, Lake Fogliano is especially suited for birdwatching and nature tours. We can see the remains of the old village of Fogliano on the lake shores. The other leisure and educational resources of the area include the Casina Inglese, Villa Caetani, the Botanical Gardens – in which part of the visit includes a visitor trail for the blind – and the Parco Letterario di Omero.