With the Cotswolds providing me with a much needed fix for short-eared owl action, I have taken the chance to look around the area a bit more, and capture other wildlife too.
With shooting being such a popular "sport" around there, the fields are full of partridges and pheasants. The red-legged partridges are comical characters, with the way they hop over walls, sit and absorb the sun's warmth or turn tail and scuttle along at an amazing rate, when alarmed.
While images of them in fields are lovely, I have to say trying for shots of them on the Cotswolds stone walls is my favourite challenge, and isn't always easy. The birds are easily scared (not surprising when they're being shot at) and getting them on a wall, with the light just right can be a game of patience or pure fortune.
Same with the local buzzards, which seem to have a habit of flying off just as the lens locks on, though this one stayed put to show its appreciation of my photography, moments after this shot, decorating the surrounding grass with something rather unpleasant.
Encouraging to see are the amount of kestrels around too, often seen sat on posts, lines or hedges, watching for movement below, to swoop down upon.
There appears to be good numbers of brown hare around here too, but I will need to be up far earlier to catch them in action. The one day I did manage to arrive for dawn, the hares decided to have a lie in! None to be seen anywhere. I did get some lovely shots of roe deer at dusk, which sort of made up for it.
The county I have focused on here, so far is Gloucestershire, and I am barely scratching the surface of what is on offer. Heading west, I have also spent a few days in the Forest Of Dean. The boar have managed to evade me thus far (aside from one huge male some years back), but I have enjoyed some success with birds around there.
Hawfinches breed in this area and at this time of year can be seen feeding both in trees and on the ground. Yew trees are a favourite of theirs, so it can be a case of locating some and hoping, though local bird news sites can help narrow down possible sites.
Finding them is one thing, photographing them, or at least getting the chance to is something else. They are shy and tend to stick to the shadows beneath the tree, and seem to be the last to come down to feed, and the first to fly off at the first sign or sound of trouble. As such, when Joe Public or the local sheep aren't scaring them off, I have found that the silent mode of my new Canon 7D Mk2 has been a benefit, allowing me to shoot away and not frighten the birds with what resembles a machine gun.
Even then, they have an amazing ability to land with something in front of them, be it a strand of grass, a twig or be facing the wrong way. Stick at it though, and eventually some half-decent images can be had.
Whilst waiting, there are other species to be captured. There are numerous nuthatches around, constantly calling to each other and feeding on seed thrown down by folks probably keen on seeing the hawfinches!
And another shy bird can be seen making the most of free food, sneaking in when the magpies and crows aren't looking, to make off with a meal. Jays.
Then there are the flocks of crossbills. I have on many occasions visited the Wyre Forest for these, but never really had much luck. I even travelled up to Nottinghamshire once, to see the "guaranteed" flock that were drinking from a puddle daily. Except when I went, when they didn't show. So when I heard of some doing similar in the Forest Of Dean, I thought I'd have another go. This time, I was luckier, and enjoyed some fabulous views of a male and female drinking from a small puddle.
They are such vibrant birds, even managing to glow somewhat when in the shade of a tree.
But in the sunlight, they shine. Lovely birds.
With Spring around the corner, I will probably be distracted with other targets soon, so will be heading to other counties, though the lure and chance of seeing some boar might keep me going back. The hawfinches will soon vanish into the canopy and I haven't been to see the short-eared owls for a few weeks now. That said, I still have a mountain of unprocessed images of them to sort. So expect to see more on my Flickr stream for weeks to come.
Anyone who follows me on Twitter or watches my Flickr stream will be well aware of what I have been focusing on of late. Short-eared owls, and the half dozen or so that have chosen to winter in the picturesque Cotswolds. I have visited the site probably more times than is healthy, but I adore these owls and try to make the most of them, as they will soon disperse and it might be several years before such a convenient gathering is accessible to me again.
The area isn't new to me. I have seen little owls here in the past and enjoyed one of the local barn owls putting on a show, alongside the road one afternoon, so when I saw reports of short-eared owls there late last year, I knew exactly where to look for them.
In December, the owls seemed to be mainly sparring with each other when they showed, and that was usually late afternoon if at all. Having observed the owls since then it seems likely that they were sorting out territory, as when I have visited recently, there is usually only one of the owls that hunts over the meadow closest to the wall, where everyone watches from.
This particular individual also prefers to hunt all day, and can be seen from dawn on some days, quartering the fields in search of breakfast.
The resident raptors have had to play second fiddle to the owls, with the barn owls being generally chased off the fields. At the start of the week the landowner put up a barn owl box, presumably after seeing the barn owl around this area, and by the end of the week, I was pleased to see the barn owl sat outside it, so that is great news for the folks who made the effort to help.
Also around are merlins, though I have only had fleeting glimpses of these as they hurtle through at pace, and kestrels, which give as good as they get with the short-eared owls.
Buzzards are plentiful of course and it's encouraging to see that red kites are starting to populate the area too. Add in the hen harrier that has been spotted, and it's clear to see that the area is rich in wildlife and perfectly suited to birds of prey.
The area is fairly exposed to the elements, so standing around for hours on end isn't all that pleasant, especially when northerly winds are cutting through you. However, watching the owls use the wind has been interesting. When there is a breeze, they use it to hunt into, so it slows them as they float over the meadow, scanning the ground for movement and listening for anything making a sound.
In stronger winds, they still seem to be able to detect prey, but photographing them is more tricky, as they can change direction in the blink of an eye, and be dozens of yards away in a split second as their large wings catch the gusts.
When it is calm, they have shown great skill with their ability to hover, and while not being quite as good as kestrels, they still manage to hang above an area of interest, and drop down head-first to pounce on prey below.
This diving down is also something difficult to capture, as they can be floating along one second, and in the next, they have angled their wings and tail, and dropped like a dart into the grasses to grab some prey.
But with good timing, the wing and tail positions used show how agile they are, and skilled to go from flying into diving so quickly.
Once on the ground, the owl grabs the prey in its talons, with its wings hugged around, mantling it, whilst looking all around somewhat nervously in case of any other owl or other bird might try to steal the catch.
Once caught, the owl may consume the prey where it has been caught, stash it elsewhere in something akin to a larder, or fly to somewhere it feels more secure to eat it.
I was surprised to see how easily they can tear up prey too. I expected the owl to gulp down the whole thing, but with ease, it tore the poor vole into lumps, and swallowed it. They must have sharp beaks, strong talons and powerful neck muscles.
I have been fortunate to enjoy some very close views of the owls, and one thing that is clear is that they can change their facial appearance quite drastically, depending on their mood. The composite shot below is of the same owl.
The left is the way it looked as other owls hunted nearby, and it had raised its "ears" perhaps in a show of defence, whereas the right side is the look it had when it first landed, somewhat cautiously scanning the area to check that it was safe to remain there.
With any gathering of owls like this, it has brought crowds of admirers. This can be a problem in terms of getting to see the owls close up, as they tend to avoid the people in general, though their tolerance is pretty good, and they're happy to fly close or over the top, but usually prefer to perch further off. On quiet days I have been fortunate to have an owl perch up right next to me, probably because I was hidden between my car and a stone wall!
By being careful and applying some common sense, a perched owl can be approached. Fairly obvious really. Wait for it to look the other way and creep up, being as quiet as possible. Play statues when it looks in your direction. And hope no traffic thunders by to undo all your hard work.
There are benefits to the crowds, with a great deal of banter going on between us all, which can be invaluable in the hours of waiting for an owl to appear, especially on such cold days. I have made some new friends over this winter and they're fantastic characters. One of the many benefits of this passion of mine.
It won't be long before the owls start to disperse though. Much to the relief of the locals who live in this beautiful and normally tranquil part of England. But they have left me with memories to treasure, and rather a large number of images to enjoy!
Another year is almost over and what a fabulous one it has been for wildlife, strengthening friendships and attempting to get some photos along the way. Not to mention adding a few miles to the clock of the car; it's taken me to Scotland and back three times!
After returning from the Highlands, I was pleased to read reports from a remote part of the Cotswolds (Gloucs) where some short-eared owls have been seen, so I didn't need much persuasion to head down there for a look. The reports were indeed correct, with as many as six in the area.
Unlike those enjoyed in Northants some years ago, these seem to be less predictable, and as yet haven't adopted any sort of pattern to either the time they appear at or the areas of the fields they prefer to hunt.
If you're after a quiet afternoon, then these aren't for you, as shorties are crowd-pullers. Normally I steer clear of crowds, but when there's little to do when the owls aren't out, it has been pleasant to catch up with friends and make new ones, as we all stand expectant of some feathery entertainment.
I have been to the area before and was fortunate with some shots of a barn owl, and indeed there are still some around. And, with the general hilliness of the area, there are other interesting species nearby; golden plover being one that I have taken the time to observe.
Along with a decent flock of lapwings, these nervous birds tend to feed on the far side of one of the fields, but with some patience and luck, closer views can be had. Unless something spooks them all, in which case, you have to aim for the skies and hope they pass overhead.
Scanning the crop fields and some of the chocolate-box villages can yield some great views of red-legged partridges too. In such a spot, I noticed some heading from one field to another, hurdling a dry stone wall in the process. Using the car as a hide, and trying to guess where they'd appear, I managed to get some images as they paused on the wall, before dropping down below.
On my first visits to the area, the short-eared owls were content to quarter the fields, catching prey and occasionally perching up on the walls or posts.
Then, over the next few trips, they seemed to be getting more aggressive with each other, and spending more and more time sparring or fighting one another in mid-air. Great fun to watch and attempt to photo.
Circling round and around, after each other, calling out, coming together, talons flared. Super entertainment.
Of course when they fail to appear while the light is decent, the new 7D Mk2 has allowed me to up the ISO and still get reasonable shots. Including some more atmospheric ones against a coloured sky, as the sun was setting. I'm pretty sure the mk1 would have yielded something grainy and unusable.
Then, to top it all off, after the light had gone completely one afternoon, I chose to go have a look at the barn owl which was hunting in the distance, just to watch it really. They're fascinating to observe, even if I couldn't get a shot. Or so I thought. As I approached the area, I spotted a short-eared owl sat on a post, and not too far off for a high ISO shot.
Then, as I took my face from the camera, I spotted the barn owl land, a couple of posts along.
Given how dark it was (and I've brightened these shots up considerably), I was both amazed that the camera focused on the owls, and also that I was able to clean up the images to get a good end result.
The barn owl seemed most curious of the shortie. The latter was more interested in scanning the fields nearby for movement.
The two soon flew off, but left me with images and a memory to treasure.
With the owls only making an appearance late each afternoon, I have tried to fill the mornings with other targets, and trees laden with berries have been a magnet to winter thrushes. While the light wasn't great one day, I still managed to grab a few close shots of redwings, blackbirds and even some bullfinches as they feasted on the rowan tree's berries.
Annoyingly, the next day, with clear skies and great light, I returned to find the tree had been stripped bare by the greedy birds, so I had to make do with a nearby cotoneaster tree instead. Which was what the redwings had also decided to do, and I added some more shots of them amongst the red berries, to my collection.
So, on the very last day of the year, did I head down to see the owls again? No. My Flickr stream was becoming a bit of an owl-fest, so I wanted something different. I chose to swap the beautiful rolling hills of the Cotswolds for a marsh near Birmingham Airport (Marsh Lane NR), where I bumped into Max.
Always good, amusing company we had a good chat about things, including the 7D Mk2 and Max's attire, and grabbed a few shots of the common snipe nearby. After he left, I scanned the area hoping for something special to turn up. A merlin has been seen in the area, so I was hoping for that. I started to get the feeling though that it wouldn't be my day. Each time I put the camera down, to have a coffee, something would fly past and I'd miss it. It was cold and I thought perhaps I should head home for the day.
Very glad I didn't. Because after I'd missed a water rail scamper across the ice in the marsh, it appeared minutes later, battling with something it had caught in its beak.
Unbelievably, for such a small bird, it had caught a vole (a field vole I am told), by its hind leg.
Quick as a flash, it scurried across the ice allowing me just enough time to burst off some shots.
Then, among the reeds at the edge of the pool, it proceeded to dunk, peck at and drown the poor vole, before carrying its sodden body off into the vegetation, to consume.
I have seen them take small fish before, but never something like this. Nature has a habit of throwing up surprises and I was very pleased I was able to photograph this one!
So that brings me right up to date for 2014. All that's left to say is Happy New Year everyone, and I hope you all have a wonderful, wildlife-filled 2015. Cheers!
