Better To Stay Local!!

Just a quick recap of what I've been up to as of late. Last weekend wasn't great; had a text of Ian on the Friday to say he was heading to Lake Vrynwy for the Saturday, so I decided to head over there too. I normally go there earlier in the year but Springwatch were filming there this year and that put me off.

Shouldn't have bothered as the Centenary Hide looked out on a deserted lake and there were no sign of the pied flycatchers or warblers I'd seen the previous year there. The only interest was from the feeder hide at the RSPB car park, where the siskins were making the most of the free food.


On the Sunday I thought I would try again for the spotted flycatchers over at Holt, but the recurring rain and presence of children playing tennis in the road nearby put pay to any chances of photographing it. Didn't even see it for that matter! Did get views of a juvenile great spotted woodpecker from some distance, and a bit closer, a swallow resting on one of the lines.

So the lack of new photos have allowed me to catch up on some I have left over from earlier trips. Added some from the garden and a few more from Upton Warren of the popular kingfishers there.

Then on Wednesday, finishing work a little earlier allowed me to pop out to Lea End, to play the game of "Where's Willy?" with the little owl there. Just a shame that the accessible side of the tree where he lives is positioned awkwardly for getting any good light, and with the leaves on it at the moment, getting a clear shot is tricky. Still, managed to find a way and took some more of it, posing, glaring and preening.


If only there were more owls locally to photograph, as they're definitely one of my favourites.