YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE THIS. I'M NOT SURE AS I DO????

Having been out every evening since my last post I am grateful to report that no more sightings of the Tawny Owl, so our Barn Owls are hopefully safe for the time being.

Barn Owls are a schedule 1 bird and are on the RSPB and BTO Red Lists , just to monitor these birds I have to be the holder of a schedule 1 licence in my name. having these birds on your land is  a real honour  and give us so much pleasure in watching them but if only it was that simple. However when I was out monitoring the birds on the 9th  of September, another surprise was awaiting me in the form of a fourth Barn Owl, we have 3 males and  the one female we have a commune,I managed an image on the first evening of both Interlopers leaving the small box when it was dark, earlier on that evening the resident male had departed the large box and been away hunting twice  and returning with a mouse on both occasions,  he eventually finished up sat on the top of the roof and calling twice, I'm sure this was a triumphant call to celebrate the female returning into the large box, before leaving not to be seen again that evening.this after he had managed in getting the female to  return from her time with interloper 1 in the small box , I  have managed to get some images of this third male  {Interloper 2} on the 14 th of September so its below for you to see, unfortunately it was virtually dark and by this time he had moved into the large box . If we carry on like this  I will have to put up more boxes. These birds are very rare birds, why are we so fortunate  in getting four of them

I began to wonder if we had a return of last years fledglings but to date I am unable to see any rings on any of the birds.

We have found the Osprey the Males will protect the nest very aggressively but every now and then they allow another bird onto the nest, this is invariably  a bird fledged from the nest  just which is checked by the office on the television and zooming in to read the ring number, just a first time returner calling in to say good day but it does not appear to be this with the Barn Owls which is something I was hoping was the case.

Resident Male, Large Box, 9th September.

First sighting of the evening its certainly getting more difficult in getting decent images with it getting dark that much earlier

The wind blowing his feathers about.

A much happier looking resident male having got his female tp return into the big box.

Having taken two mice in for his lady, he then sat himself on top of the box and gave two calls before heading away hunting. 9th of September .

Movement on the front of the Small Box. 9th of September.

then after about half an hour I made out movement on the front of the small box and even though it was virtually dark I managed to get this image of two birds leaving the box, this is Interloper 1 and 2, this is getting silly.  

Interloper 2 leaving the large box. 14th September.

Having been about for a few days he has obviously decided to get his feet under the table and move into the large box, these birds are obviously living in harmony together so who am I to interfere. He has different shaped eyes to  interloper 1 and the resident male had already been out hunting  and returned with his mice for the female

Resident Male on the front of the large box. 15th of September.19.50 hrs.

Having just emerged from the box, he stood for a short time on the box front before flying down onto the compost bin. No sign of a ring on this bird.

He then flew onto the gate post, getting very dark.

Resident Male , large box 16th of September. 19.30 hrs.

This was his first appearance of the evening and soon was away hunting.

Having returned with a mouse he soon reappeared ready to be away again.

He then came out onto the front and had a look around.

A quick stretch and the away.

This bird appeared on the front of the Small box, unsure as to which bird, I was unable to get an image of his face.

Interloper 2 leaving the Large box having moved in.

Same image as above but with using the new blogger I can't find how to remove it??

Interloper 2, Large box. 16 th of September 19.55 hrs.

He eventually came out of the box but it was almost dark ISO 125600. Again different shaped eyes to  Interloper 1 and no staining as with the Resident bird.

  

Interloper 1, again different eyes.

Resident Male. large staining to eyes,
I just need the female to come out earlier, I have seen her several times  but much too dark to consider an image. I have seen her on the floor of the box on having the CCTV cameras on.










A VERY QUICK VISIT WITH THE RED KITES.
Even though I had an appointment  late afternoon, I still decided to have a very quick trip out and initially headed for the small village where I see the Red Kites, on arrival none were to be seen but luckily within a short time they showed up, I put Richard onto the village and I see from his post he has had a visit only to find the gent is feeding the birds later. 

Red Kite.

Birds were about in reasonable numbers but I only had half an hour so it was lunch, birds and away. 

I find them fascinating to watch  in flight.

This bird appeared to have me spotted.

And watched me as he flew past.

Then came by again for another look.


THEN A LIGHTNING FAST VISIT TO EYEBROOK.

On my return trip home I ad to call by the reservoir just to se if anything much was about, all I saw was a Great Black- backed Gull on the Tern Raft, a very large gull that I have seen giving an Osprey a hard time , ll   are a large and formidable  gull whoes diet includes othergulls , rabbits and vermin, not the nicestof birds.

Great black-backed Gull.


Unfortunately the bird was a long way from me  but you can get some idea of its size,

The pink legs show its species, plus the size of the bird.

Thank you for your visit,I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have in the  getting of the images. My first post on the new Blogger, still bits  I'm not sure about in particular how to delete an unwanted image but I'm sure it will get easier with use.

THE BARN OWLS, YOU REALLY COULDN'T MAKE IT UP!!!!

If this season with these beautiful birds had to date been bizarre to say the least, after an evening monitoring on the 1 st of September things really went off the scale, I was sitting in my hide  and the resident male having departed and returned with his mouse, I settled in for the wait for the Interloper to decide to leave . As I was watching the large box as after having the CCTV cameras on that's where all the birds were roosting fortunately, the night went on and it was getting progressively darker when I noticed through the corner of my eye some movement in the entrance into the small box, I had a quick look and nothing was really showing so I swung the camera round  on the tripod and took a quick image, shooting at ISO 125600 is never easy but to my amazement sat on the front of the platform after coming out of the box was an adult Tawny Owl,   the bird sat for a minute or two before flying , so we are on four owls two species in two boxes. After this the Interloper came out of the large box after about five minutes but by then the lens would not focus so I made it back to the house to try another night. I start to wonder what is going to appear then???.
Then on the following evening, the resident male emerged at about 20.15 hrs , but for the first time did not return  with his usual mouse, this initially I found very worrying, but then at 20.40 hrs the interloper emerged from the small box, fortunately the Tawny had just the single day in situ or I'm sure we would have had two dead Barn Owls,followed some 10 minutes later by the female, so my thoughts with the resident bird are if you want to move in with the interloper either he can feed you or feed yourself, I'm going to hunt for myself. This all changed a couple of days later but I will let the images tell the tale.
I have been out this evening and just returned in at 20.49hrs and have seen all three birds but the resident male has returned twice this evening with a mouse and entered the Small box I would say to feed the female, so he is wooing her with food, will she return to the Large box,? he is certainly proving himself as a good provider, I have yet to see the Interloper bring her any food, she has to make her mind up.

Resident Male, Large box .

First sighting of the evening, unfortunately its getting darker so much earlier, I will soon have to take my tea out into the hide.

Out onto the front of the box. 

Then an about turn and up to the other end, and then away hunting. 

And on his return with his mouse the following show how the bird folds his wings, this happens as fast as the camera could take images.

At this time the female and interloper were still residing in the large box. 

He then re emerged from the box and took up position on his post .

And then he was away again hunting. 

Tawny Owl. Small Box.
Then after seeing some movement in the doorway, I managed a few images even though it was much darker of this bird, difficult to see being such a dark bird. unfortunately not a good image, This was about 20 minutes after the resident male had departed for the second time..

Resident Male on the evening of the 2  nd of September on his favourite post.

After returning to the box only to re emerge some 10 minutes later.

Out onto the front. 

Then an about turn and back into the box. 

Only to be back out after a couple of minutes. 

And away hunting. 

Only to return with a mouse and take it to the female in the small box. a crafty move to hopefully get her to return into the large box. This caught me totally unaware and the camera was still on the large box so a quick swing round and shoot, hence the poor image.

Then after feeding his girl, back onto the front of the box looking smug with himself.

A quick shake to re adjust all his feathers so he looks his best.

Then he waited a few seconds and then was away again hunting, not sure if he returned again, as it became too dark.

Interloper Male. Small Box, 6 th of September.

Here appearing ready to be away hunting from the small box. it was virtually dark, the female appeared some 15 minutes later

Unfortunately none of the images are that good,I was fighting the darkness, its getting dark earlier

I MADE TRACKS ON MY AFTERNOON OUT FOR SOME TIME WITH THE RED KITES.
I eventually finished up in Horse Lane, admittedly  I didn't get so close to the birds but at least I could watch them as they flew about, this time they were about 300 metres away in the field adjacent to where they are fed, this was between 14.30 hrs and 15.00 hrs, Richard has had a visit and was informed they are not being fed until 18.00m hrs this time of the year. I will have to try and have a word with Arthur.

This pair were swooping about and eventually had this close call. 

And then parted and kept clear of each other.

 They really have a piercing eye and an evil looking beak. 

This bird circled over a tree for several minutes. 

They appear to be the same image but subtle differences. 

I hope you have enjoyed your visit as much as I have in the getting of the images and the putting together of this post.