Frampton Marshes

At long last the rain that had plagued England and Wales for so long moved elsewhere, and I had a chance of a sunny day out. I chose to head to Frampton Marshes, as it's not a million miles from where I got the recent barn owl shots from, but also offered possible sightings of marsh harriers, and other birds of prey from "Raptor Corner", pin-pointed on a map, by Ian.

The drive up was pleasant apart from the fog in the valleys, though the Sat-Nav took me a different route to that expected, so kept me on my toes. Parking up past the main RSPB centre, the first sounds that greeted me were from avocets, taking flight to chase anything that was available to be chased.

It was calm, sunny and warm, and there weren't many folks around. I made my way along the raised bank to the corner Ian had suggested, seeing a kestrel and a marsh harrier along the way. Both too distant for pics, and it was from these sightings that I almost wished it wasn't so warm. Heat haze. It wasn't even 9am, and it was so bad it was affecting shots close to the ground from less than 30 yards.

There was plenty to see, with common sandpipers and both adult and juvenile avocets on the pools, various geese around and terns making the commute from the feeding grounds of the marshes back to the nesting areas near the hides. Plus the usual array of noisy gulls. It was from watching these that my attention switched to something else, hunting the marshes. A barn owl. I increased my walking pace along the bank, though I could see someone closer to it, which gave me hope that it'd not vanish as soon as I approached. Alas no, the owl was in fact spooked by the walker, who as I finally reached where the owl had been hunting, told me he'd managed to get within 50 yards of one earlier in the week, by creeping along. I was tempted to ask why he'd not employed the same tactic today, but I think with the haze, I'd have needed to be within 20 yards to have got a decent image.

While it was lovely viewing the areas across the marshes, and very warm, the horrid flies trying to bite and constantly flying in my eyes and ears, encouraged me to head onwards, and after a brief view of the map of the area, I headed to the narrowest roads I could find.

"Little bit of bread and no cheese!" alerted me to the presence of yellowhammers, and parking up near a hedge where the birds were calling from soon yielded some results. These birds glow on dull days, so it was a challenge not to blow the highlights on such a sunny one.

A bit further down the road, another song caught my attention and it was one I'd not heard since Uist, back in 2010. A corn bunting, who was initially sat singing on a telephone wire. Thankfully it relocated to the crops growing in the fields beside my car.

Lovely birds, which are sadly a rare sight these days.

Having exhausted my bottle of pop, I was gagging for a drink and there weren't any shops nearby, so I headed to the barn owl area, calling in at a garage along the way. Ice cold Ribena never tasted so good!

Ian and his parents turned up later, which made the wait for something to show up more entertaining. Plenty of great crested grebes on the river, small flocks of common terns danced by, and I managed to get a few shots of a little egret, trying its luck on the shore.

That was about the only luck we witnessed on the evening, as the owls, while they occasionally ventured out, were always distant, and seemed to be more interested in checking out the various buildings in the area. No signs of grey partridges either, though I did see a vocal male red-legged variety, cackling from a barn roof. And the hares as ever stayed away, limiting me to very hopeful long shots.

Though a juvenile pied wagtail took pity on me, and posed on a post near my car.

And just as the sun was starting to set, we spied a pair of young foxes, which didn't seem to know what to do, when a male pheasant wandered by. They were more interested in us, as we poked our big lenses out of the car window, to capture them, sat in the grass.

As before, on the way home we saw another barn owl hunting near a main road, begging the question whether we should move our hunting grounds there next time too?

Owls, Owlets And Otmoor

Followers of this blog will I'm sure be aware of how often I watch the local little owls, and at this time of year it's more entertaining than usual, as the chicks are out. For a few days before this last weekend, I had been deliberately taking a detour to pass by their tree, to see if anything was going on, listening out for the tell-tale screech, of a chick pestering to be fed.

During the week, I spotted an owlet hiding at the bottom of the tree, but only at dusk, so it wasn't really good for photos, but it gave me something to do at the weekend, and as it happened, I managed to get down there at Friday lunchtime for an early viewing. With the almost constant rain we have suffered lately, the verges beside the lane are boggy to say the least, and I was very glad of having the Yeti with its 4-wheel drive, to get me out of the mud, where I am sure my old Fabia would have got stuck.

Normally upon arrival, it's a challenge to locate the owls, but this time, one was sat out in the open on arrival. As is often the case with youngsters, they're not scared of humans; more curious, and after bobbing its head around a few times, it hopped on to a branch nearer to me, for a better look at me!

I had to roll the camera over to fit the little furball into the frame. Ignoring the shutter, it then proceeded to preen and clean for several minutes.

Only the return of one of the adult birds sent it back to hiding, and it vanished behind the trunk for a while. The afternoon was fantastic for viewing the parents as they were flying between the trees frequently, though they seemed to arrive back when you least expected it, and often when I wasn't looking, and I'd turn to see one sat nearby, glaring down at me.

Which is sort of what happened shortly after, when an adult returned with an earthworm, and passed it to a chick which appeared from nowhere, on the side of the main trunk. I saw it, but there was no way I could get the lens lined up in time, and all I saw was a rather pleased owlet licking its beak after scoffing down the worm. That would have been a superb shot, and as usual, I saw it, but failed to capture it.

Still, the owlet looked adorable sat there, and I took a few more shots.

Several more feeding moments occurred, but all below the hedge, out of sight. I'd just hear the screeching intensify, then silence, with the adult flying up to the branches to preen for a while. Mucky business getting worms on a wet day.

I managed a few more photos of one of the chicks (pretty sure there are only two of them) as again it perched very close, and with all the action, I thought it would be nice to share it with some friends. For once I thought the owls would be a dead cert for showing, and inviting friends over, from a few miles away, wouldn't be a waste of their time. We all agreed to aim for Sunday, as the forecast was for something called "sunshine".

So Saturday morning, I was keen to check on the owl family again, and expected to be treated to the same show as before. Hmm, I should have known better, as wildlife can never be guaranteed to perform, and for the hour I sat there, I saw only fleeting glimpses of the owls, adults or otherwise. I started to wonder if the plan for Sunday was a wise move after all. I did manage to get a few shots of a juvenile great spotted woodpecker, as it pecked and probed around the dead parts of the old oak tree.

Seemed to be well skilled in hanging on already.

Failing to see the bad omens on the owls, I then took the M40 down to RSPB Otmoor, on yet another attempt to see a turtle dove. I've been loads of times and the best I've ever managed is to hear one. The day continued where I'd left off from the owls. I saw masses of dragonflies as I wandered down the path. Using the 500mm isn't easy for such things, as you have to stand about 5 metres from the insect to get a focus (I need some extension tubes). So I got out the 100-400mm, turned around and it was like someone had hidden all the insects. Nothing. Not even when I poked the tripod leg into the shrubs. Put the camera away, and they appeared again.

I took a shot with the 500mm anyway. I think it's a female common darter, but I'm no expert. With all the dragonflies, there must be hobbies, right? Yes, but either perched half a mile away in the middle of the RSPB's conservation area, or even further away, high over my head. The Otmoor Blog had reported a few waders from the hide, so I walked down towards it, seeing and missing blackcaps, whitethroats and even a grasshopper warbler. They'd either fly off when I lined the camera up, or there would be something in the way of the shot. The only thing I did see for a second or two was a male linnet, singing from an overhead line.

Out of the hide window I could see.... a swan. Oh, and a grey heron on the far side of the field. Awesome. It was late, I was fed up and I left, once again dipping on turtle doves. No partridges or pear trees either, before anyone comments. There was a lone kestrel on the road out of Beckley, but it was raining by then, so nothing special.

Sunday, and a text from Ian meant I had to get up. I wasn't as fresh as I should have been, but Scotch whisky is rather nice, from time to time. As was the ale I'd had before it. Shortly after, Kate (WildlifeKate to viewers of Springwatch, Gardener's World, Midlands Today) confirmed she was also on her way, and we were soon parked up (all in the Yeti) beside the tree. The forecasters were right, it was actually sunny, which made the light quite tricky for photos.

No owls initially, but eventually one of the chicks put in an appearance, hopping round to the front of the trunk, and allowing both Ian and Kate to get some shots. Being the kind soul I am, I was sat on the other side of the car, so could only get the occasional shot, though I have a few already! Just as I was explaining the habits of the owls and that the adults often preferred to sit in other trees, Kate followed my pointing finger and spotted one of them sat in another tree! A great spot, and with her smaller 100-400mm lens, she was able to lean out the window and get some pics of it.

Sadly, unlike the Friday, the birds didn't put on that much of a show, with the owlet returning to the same perch each time. The light improved and Kate borrowed my lens for some closer shots. She wasn't too impressed with the weight of it though!

With only a couple of hours to spare, Kate had to reluctantly leave, and I spun the car round so I could view, with Ian still lurking in the back. One of the adults flew in, and sat on a dead branch which made for a superb perch. We again managed to miss a fab shot, when it flew off the side of the tree, hovered for a split second whilst trying to grab a flying insect, before returning once more. Was good to watch mind you.

Both of the chicks were now out in the tree, and we tried to get shots of them, setting the cameras up for darker images, with them hiding amongst the leaves. As usual, the adult timed it to perfection to return with a huge worm, and one owlet made the dash over to collect it. Both Ian and I blasted a dozen or so shots off, only then to realise we'd under-exposed the shots. Thankfully, not by too much, and the resulting images were actually pretty decent.

The adult actually puts the worm into the beak of the chick, then stands back on guard, whilst the youngster battles to eat the worm and not fall off its perch. Amusing to watch and made for a great set of shots.

The adult caught another worm later, and with the other chick screeching to be fed, ate the worm itself! Rather mean of it, and perhaps why these owls look so grumpy as they get older?

Summer weather soon returned, clouding over and the light became horrid. Ian and I opted to relocate to a nearby pub for a pint and a ham roll. He'd taken over 500 shots, most of them being keepers. Though he'll probably only process about 3 of them, knowing what he's like. A great morning, not just with the owls but also catching up with good friends. Had to get the car cleaned after though - was caked with mud!

Revisiting Gilfach Farm And The Wyre Forest

While mooching round the woodlands of Cannock Chase is always fun, I had been watching the flood of fine shots still coming out of Gilfach Farm, of redstarts posing, even on people's hands! Problem was, had I left it too late to go? I knew if I didn't try I'd always be asking myself, so at 5am on Saturday morning, the alarm sounded, and by 7:30am, I was driving across the border into Wales.

The forecast wasn't great - sunshine and showers, and rather windy. But at least it was reasonably bright. Which was handy when, as is tradition, I stopped off on the way to see if a tawny owl I had been told about was out. I've never seen it before, so didn't expect anything, but was pleasantly surprised to spot a brown shape sat on the fence. Praying it wouldn't fly off, I carefully lined up the camera and took a few shots.

There was a lot of chatter from nearby birds, but that isn't unusual, as they often go a bit mental when these secretive owls are visible. Then I spotted something hanging out of the owl's beak. I assumed it was a rodent, but later inspection revealed the prey to have been a chick, which goes a long way to explaining the reaction of the nearby birds! I wonder if it had found a nest, and was perhaps picking off the young one-by-one?

I didn't have long to watch, as it turned tail and disappeared into the shadows behind. I waited for a while, but there was no sign of it returning. A good omen for the day, perhaps?

Over at Gilfach, I started to think perhaps not, as the car park was empty and after 15 mins in the courtyard, I'd not seen any sign of redstarts. I took the chance to photograph some of the brightly coloured siskins visiting the feeders though, which made up for a lack of them locally over the winter.

Then Pip wandered out of his cottage and broke the news I had started to expect. The redstarts had fledged and gone. He'd not seen them for a few days now at the courtyard. Bugger. Well, I thought of something else, but I can't put that on here! However, I'm not one to be put off by the fact that a subject has moved on. No... If the bird has left, then I'll go and find it again.

Which I did. Just as I was driving out of the farm, I clocked a flicker of a red tail in a tree. A male. I quickly parked up and wandered back to find the male, female and a few fledged chicks, all in close proximity to one another. Ok, they wouldn't be posing on a carefully selected perch, or feeding from my hand, but at least I had a chance of some shots after coming all this way.

The female seemed to favour the area I had chosen to stand by, coming pretty close at times, perching in the trees or on posts, dropping down to catch grubs, before zipping off to a waiting chick nearby, to hand over the meal. Conditions weren't easy though, with the strong breeze moving both me and the subject around at times, and with passing clouds and showers, it meant continuously having to adjust the ISO, shutter speed and aperture settings.

The chicks generally stayed hidden in the middle of the trees, though I did manage a glimpse of one, long enough for a shot or two.

Both the male and female called to each other constantly, and it increased in frequency and volume when a sparrowhawk sped through. Thankfully it carried on by, and didn't take any of the family.

I tried to position myself closer to where the male was singing from, and he moved to where I had just left! So I moved back and just waited. Eventually it paid off, with him landing on the edge of a tree, momentarily.

Then the skies went very dark and I legged it back to the car for shelter - a wise move as it chucked it down for about half an hour! Nothing like summer time... I moved elsewhere - driving around the back of the Elan Valley again. I hoped to catch up with the whinchat I'd seen before and within 5 minutes of parking up, I got a glimpse. Saw both the male and female, though she stayed very much distant.

By now it was past lunch and I wanted to head back towards home. I called in at Clee Hill on the way, to see if any wheatears were around. Like the whinchats they were mostly far off, in small family groups following the parents around picking up insects as they went. But one juvenile popped up near the car, and perched on a fence for a second or two.

When it started raining there too, I decided to call it a day.


Sunday started with clear blue skies, but by the time I had got ready, it had clouded over and wasn't that warm. I wanted to revisit the Wyre Forest to try for adders, but I'd not realised how different it would all look now. Ferns covered most of the ground, so finding any would be tricky and I wasn't up to the task.

Instead I found myself photographing insects (at least trying to) and flowers. I really need to invest in a proper macro lens. Best get saving some pennies...

Still, the 100-400mm allows for close-ish focusing, so I made do with that, when I spotted a butterfly perched up - a ringlet apparently.

And later a blue / black beetle which seems to be a dor beetle.

I actually popped it on to the fern for a better perch, which might be frowned upon, who knows?!

It didn't seem bothered, and soon found (read "fell") its way off and headed back into the undergrowth. I followed its example, and returned home. I just need to work out what to do next weekend...

Petty Excuses For Time Off

After returning to the UK from Lindos, and shivering for several days, I was only in work for a couple of days before having another planned break from it. This time, the reason was for attending a Tom Petty concert down in London with family, and we'd decided to make a mini-break of it, staying overnight in a Kensington hotel. Concert was fantastic - Petty still has a fantastic voice and the band were brilliant too, and the sound in the Royal Albert Hall was superb too. 

But this isn't a rock music blog, so on to the three days after the trip. Friday, was as usual wet to start with, and after having a lie in for once, I chose to potter down to look for the little owls. With it being cloudy, the usual problem of their tree being backlit after lunch wasn't a problem, and as I parked up, I could see one of the pair sat out in the open, close to the road. Glaring at me, of course. 

Minimising movements, I was able to get the camera lined up slowly, and then watched as the owl preened and posed, occasionally freezing when something caught its attention below. I had to stop myself from laughing out loud at some of the shapes it managed to create. 

Saturday was miraculously bright, though very breezy and I had been trying to decide where to head all of Friday and even when stood in the shower on the morning. Gilfach, Bempton and Lincolnshire all interested me, but each had their issues. Wet weather was supposed to be coming in from the west, hence reaching Gilfach first, so that might be a trip too far the wrong way. Bempton is windy on calm days and a heck of a drive, and with rain and windy conditions possible later, the barn owl trip was also discounted. Then I thought of Max. 

I wasn't in the shower by this time, before he starts panicking. Max has been visiting Napton-on-the-Hill and getting terrific shots of spotted flycatchers (when he gets his camera settings right). I went last year but had no joy, so decided to try again. Closer than the other three destinations too, and I was there in no time, parking up and trying to see the birds in the graveyard. Within five minutes, I'd clocked one dropping down from the leafy cover of an overhanging tree, and perching up on one of the older, weathered gravestones. 

Bright it was, the strong and persistent wind meant where I needed to be stood to get the best lit shots, was actually rather cold, and it did strike me that I looked a bit weird (more so than usual) stood with a winter coat and woolly hat on, when only a stone's throw away, were several pensioners gardening, wearing light, thin summer clothes! Maybe it was still the Lindos effect making me feel chilled? 

As usual, it was a case of being patient and trying to second guess where the birds would land. It is a good spot though, as the birds are generally well lit, and have a deep, dark backdrop, making them stand out very well. 

The wind got the better of my eyes though, and when it eventually rained early afternoon, I chose to go for a drive, not really knowing where I'd head. Maidwell, as it happened. I wondered what might be around when the crowds and most of the owls weren't about. 

The tracks were as muddy and pitted as before, though my newer car copes much better than the old Fabia did, so that wasn't a concern. The fields were now full of growing crops, and those set aside for the owls were carpeted with wildflowers and long grasses. Lifting out of this, with bursts of song were skylarks, though they stayed well into the field, and out of reach of my lens. The hedges however, were closer, and these seemed to be favoured perching points for yellowhammers. 

I did also see a pair of grey partridges, but before they could scurry close enough for a worthwhile shot, a pair of hikers spooked them, and they flew off, low across the crops. I'll get some shots of these game birds eventually. 

I should really have had another lie in on Sunday, and when the rain started to pelt down on my hat, as I wandered through the wet ferns of Cannock Chase, I did question my sanity once again. This time I was trying for common redstarts. It's almost become a tradition, searching for them here each year, although this time I knew I was a bit later than usual. 

It took a good couple of hours of searching to find, and even when I did, they weren't easy to keep a track of. It turned out that the chicks had fledged, and were also competent at flying, so the parents were encouraging them to move around the woods, often quite a distance at a time, without calling too, which meant one minute I thought I was getting close, guessing the bird might return to feed one of the young, only to discover ten minutes later that they'd all moved, and I had to resume the search. 

I wasn't going to give up though, and kept trying. Typically, when I did manage to get close, the sun would be smothered by dark clouds, or worse still, it'd start raining!

Still, it was good to see that despite the rubbish weather we have suffered of late, this family of redstarts had at least increased their numbers, and that's all that matters. 

With hindsight, I should probably have stayed longer, instead of heading back to meet family and friends, prior to England's Euro Cup game. What a waste of time. But this isn't a football blog either, thank goodness, so I'll leave it there!

Lindos Revisited

This year's trip to Lindos on the Greek island of Rhodes was a bit later in the year than last, and as a result meant I had missed a lot of the birds nesting, so despite actually making the effort to take my 7D and 100-400mm lens, the apartment complex was sadly lacking in wildlife, at least of the feathered variety. Even the kestrels, which seemed to fly overhead once every 30 seconds or so last year, were noticeably absent. The sparrows, doves and hooded crows were still present at least.

That said, the agama lizards were still abundant and up to their amusing antics, fighting, leaping, sun-bathing and breeding - well at least I assume that was what was going on, as several times we spotted much smaller lizards hitching a ride on the back of larger ones. 

Insects too provided interest with very large swallow-tail like butterflies gliding around, never perching anywhere near for a decent pic.

  

Of particular interest were the huge crickets over there. One afternoon when hanging her towels out to dry on her balcony, my sister spotted a huge insect, and shrieked thinking it was a spider. Her husband came to the rescue, but even with him shaking the table violently, the insect held on! Apparently it required a stick to prise it off! It then relocated to some rocks nearby, where it munched on something for several hours. 

We finally caught up with it again, as it was stuck to a wall of a staircase. I took the opportunity to photograph it, along with something to show the size. After some research (later back home) we think it's a predatory bush cricket. Certainly doesn't look like something you'd want to mess with!

  

With the wheatears not around, I decided I'd need to go find something to photograph, and on Monday morning, got up early and braved both the heat (was 30C in the shade at 8am) and the crowds to head to the Acropolis, where I hoped to photograph the kestrels nesting on the cliffs behind the ancient building. If only I'd asked a local before trying. Walked all the way up the hill to find it is closed on a Monday. D'oh!! 

Rather than waste the trip, I followed the path around the back, and found a wooden viewing platform, where I could photo the kestrels, albeit from beneath them. Got good views of course, but it wasn't the angle I was after. 

Further down towards the sea I did find a pair of black-eared wheatears, but they were as flighty as the UK birds, and wouldn't let me anywhere near. So I took a few scenic shots and yet more lizards! 

Tuesday brought masses of coaches, and took me once more, to the Acropolis. This time it was open, and after queueing for a while, I escaped the crowds and found a spot by the wall at the cliff-top, where I could see the kestrels flying around underneath. I think they were mostly lesser kestrels, but the females and juvenile birds seem to be remarkably similar to normal kestrels in their markings.

The males were clear though, with their clean colours, and on that sunny, hot morning, with the blue sky and sea beneath, it was heavenly to photo them as they zoomed to and from the cliffs, catching thermals, stooping to grab unwary insects, and occasionally having mid-air scuffles.

Sweat was a problem though, and made gripping the camera and lens quite tricky. And the inevitable heat haze off the cliffs affected focusing too, but to be there, with such breathtaking views and to be able to watch these fabulous birds of prey flying at eye-level with you was something quite special. Definitely worth the hike up there!

Occasionally, the juveniles would even choose to land nearby, allowing for much closer shots. That said, I missed several shots when the birds flew too close to focus on! You could definitely see them taking a look at me as they cruised past.

Eventually the heat got the better of me (I was told it was reaching 47C in the sunshine during the middle of the day) and for someone fair-skinned like me, it wasn't wise to be stood in the open at the top of a hill! The coolness of the pool and an iced glass of lager tempted me away, but not before I'd filled a card on these kestrels.

The next day I had planned to walk to the cliffs where the Guns Of Navarone had been filmed. However, by then not only was it staggeringly hot, but the humidity was extremely high too, and just walking half a mile nearly killed me. The cliffs would require a decent hike, and I just couldn't be bothered! So I headed to the bottom of the cliffs of the Acropolis, behind St Paul's Bay.

I tried in vain to photograph the Alpine swifts, but they stayed way too high, and the crag martins, while lower down (at head height) were so fast, it was nigh on impossible to focus, especially with sweaty hands again. That's my excuse anyway!

A few more close encounters with juvenile kestrels provided more images, but a beautiful bird song caught my attention. Wandering round the rocks, I spotted a blue rock thrush. I managed a couple of shots before it flew off, this time getting a bit better end-results than last year. Lovely looking birds.

By lunchtime, not only was my stomach reminding me it needed filling, but the heat and humidity was making it feel like being in a sauna. Even the breeze was hot. Back to the pool for cooling off, and one of their delicious egg & bacon baps (I know, not exactly Greek cuisine!).

The remainder of the break was spend relaxing and not lugging the camera bag around. And wondering if we'd get any aftershocks after experiencing a decent earthquake at the start of the break. Dad and I felt our chairs wobbling whilst sat on the balcony (I wondered if I'd had too much pop the night before for a moment) and we later found out that it had been centred just off the coast at Rhodes town, measuring about 6 on the Richter Scale.

We did see a few other different species of birds, including a crested lark (I think), a red-legged partridge (or maybe a rock partridge, though I am not sure we were in the right habitat) and on the last day, a family of ravens, cronking loudly to each other (and flying open-beaked to keep cool), echoing off the cliffs. The little owls were also around, though only late in the day, when the sun was behind them, and the peregrines stayed very high up. No sign of the long-legged buzzards or the falcons sadly.

As with the previous year, the break wasn't for wildlife photography, but once again, it provided a few decent opportunities to do so, and I was glad I'd made the effort to take better gear this time.