ANOTHER POST FROM OUR GARDEN.

As far as we are concerned, things have not changed regarding  Covid 19  and therefore as much as I would love to visit the Ospreys, I'm afraid they will have to wait a bit longer without the noise of my camera, so I have again spent some time in the garden seeing what's about, sometimes until it was virtually dark with the Barn Owls. but they will only appear when only they are ready to, so its been a case of sit and wait and keep turning up the  ISO  and opening up the F stop plus a lot of hoping for the best. I have had several words with the Male Barn Owl to come out earlier but unfortunately  he has turned a deaf one but I don't mind sitting in my hide until it's dark, even though for the last few days it has been very windyQWe have also got two nest boxes facing the house on the wall of my workshop come garage for my tractor an mowers, strimmers etc, these are about thirty foot apart, one has Blue Tits in residence and the other Great Tits, we have numerous others scattered over our land in trees and most of these have birds nesting in them. It is such a wonderful time of the year and luckily I have managed sufficient images for a post.We are so lucky to have the Barn Owls but it still amazes me if you take the time to sit and watch, what can appear over your house.We also have  a large amount of hedging to our boundary which normally by this time of the year would have been cut prior to the nesting season, this however due to Covid meant the gardner has not been able to visit and trim the hedge back, meaning it is more difficult to see all the nests, but we have several Blackbirds, a Robin, Thrush and a Wren close to the Owl boxes,As for the Owls  I am out till late every evening, last night the Male did not appear until I was nearly in the house having abandoned the hide a few minutes earlier as it had turned cold. On the evening of the 14th both birds came out together for several minutes only for the female to return back into the box and himself to head away hunting, HOW LUCKY WE ARE!!!!

Blue Tit having a look out of the box

Having a quick peek out of the entrance having been in feeding the young before emerging.

Clear of the box and at the ready for another food finding trip. 

I can always wait a little longer and pose. 

Great Tit, st the Opposite end of the Workshop.

Sitting on the perch before entering and feeding the hungry young.

Leaving the nest box after a tidy .

Male Kestrel { Thank you Roos}

 was sitting out waiting for a Peregrine when third bird flew over the far side of our land nearer to the Owl boxes.

It was gaining height all the time I was getting my images and eventually finished as a speck in the sky.

Barn Owl.


I tried a new spot to set up my hide, too far away and he didn't appear until it was almost dark and then flew immediately away .

ar

Result of flight shot even though I had set a very high ISO and opened up to F4 .

These two images taken from by the house without the hide, but a very long distance away. 

Using the hide back in my original position, gave me a good stare before going away hunting, he appears to have decided to keep the female company  until the eggs hatch.!! 

Such a handsome bird.

An image I could not resist adding to this post of the Manton Bay Female with the four chicks,  cannot wait to see them



Thank you for your visit,I hope you have enjoyed sit as much as I have in the getting of the images, but I still am hoping to get to see the Ospreys as soon as possible.. 

A MIXTURE OF BIRDS ALL FROM OUR GARDEN.

With this awful Covid  still rampant , a friend died from it Saturday last,  God bless you George, I am involved in the dog world and serve on a  single breed dog committee for Golden Retrievers, we are a committee of eleven and two have had the virus, Ingrid bless her has survived. less of this morbid subject and onto the post.

I have lately spent a reasonable amount of time in our garden, firstly looking for the Peregrine Falcons also of an evening in my hide  watching and recording the activity of the Barn Owls.

I have a Schedule 1 licence issued by the BTO and have been informed that all ringing of birds has been cancelled but if possible to monitor the nest boxes and report back as previous, with our boxes having CCTV this makes the job considerably easier. I first put the cameras on last Tuesday the 5th  May, we have had signs the Owls have been around all Winter but have  avoided the cameras till then , upon checking the Male  Barn Owl  was in the smaller of the two boxes and the female was sitting in the larger box, I have no  idea as to how many eggs as she would not  get up but I will have the cameras on again soon so as to monitor the progress.

I have again seen the Peregrines, and yes this time they are Peregrines, confirmation by my pal Rhys 

Pigeon on our Roof.

Breakfast lunch and tea  for the Peregrines, and,y  hopefully they will be thinned  out as we have so many in our trees and around the area, the Peregrines can only do good.

Peregrine Falcon, our garden.

Last image taken with my large lens prior to me carrying out the repairs, this bird was about 200 metres away after this I managed to get the lens off the camera which I was told would be a difficult task but turned out to be not that bad, it was slightly jammed in place but once removed I took out the four screws  and replaced them with the four miniscule screws sent in the post and after this all is fine { until the next time}.

Male Barn Owl,  Large box.

This is the first image of the season as he was leaving on a hunting trip for the female, after this he took up residence in the smaller box  eher I'm sure he will remain until the young have fledged.

A quick look as to where the noise was coming from, these two images are taken at a high ISO,70,000 plus at  F4 as it was almost dark.

The Next four images were taken as I saw him move and kept my finger on the remote button. not good images but shows he does not hang about on leaving.

Male Barn Owl leaving the small box.

He again left very quickly but stopped at the large box and went inside to visit the female, this is what we have monitored over previou years.

Another evening but this time he went away hunting and returned into the large box after a few minutes with a mouse.

Another evening and even darker, this taken at ISO 8000 + and again opened up to F4.

Buzzard, over the area where the Barn Owl boxes are situated.

Image taken over about 100 metres, lens certainly appears sharp enough in focus.

Sand Martin.

I'm not sure how I managed to get this image as the bird was as you can see going extremely fast in a dive, put it down as a lucky shot. 


Thank you for your visit I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I did in the getting of the images and it just shows with a bit of luck the birds you can see in your garden.

NEARLY MORE  ENCOUNTERS WITH THE PEREGRINE FALCONS.

I have been spending many happy hours sitting outside in the glorious  weather we have been experiencing in England, but unfortunately this has come to an abrupt end and has rained all day today, not good for sitting out but very good for the farmers who have just planted crops, this will be a great help for germination. 

However I will be very grateful when I am allowed back to light duties on the garden,  since my operation I have not been allowed to do any gardening ,of course I cannot see any reason as to why I cannot sit on my tractor and cut the grass, but I have to  do as I am told, nearly!!!!!!,I have also since the last post  had a nasty infection but a dose of antibiotics appears to have cleared this up, so all is well again.

I have seen the Peregrines on numerous occasions , mostly with no images taken as the birds have invariably  approached me very sneakily from behind  as I sit on the patio with the sun behind me  to help with the images.
I have however managed to get some non too good images ,it appears something has gone wrong with my large lens  so it will have to be returned

When the Buzzards appear its not long before  the Peregrine appear to see them off.

Then  a  Sparrowhawk arrived, I must admit I find it very difficult to follow the bird at the speed they travel and by the time I had the focus point on the bird, I was taking images virtually into the sun, hence the poor quality images.

Followed by a kestrel.

I hope you have enjoyed your visit as much as I did in the getting of the images, unfortunately the Peregrine images are not my best but  I have also found a problem with my large lens, hopefully I can fix it or the makers can.