Short eared owls

Very little photography the last couple of months but today I had a day to go and play and the sun came out. I decided to go owl hunting and found a great site with several short eared owls. None came very close but it was fun watching them sparring and hunting. Would be worth another trip if I can find some more time.

Owls, buzzard and falcons

A lovely sunny day at a Welsh Valley farm was completed with a wide range of beautiful birds. Our focus4nature workshop included some great locations to show the birds off at their best. Buzzard, barn owl, little owl, tawny owl, long eared owl, hobby and merlin all posed patiently for the group.

For future dates for the same raptor photo day please watch the F4N website.

Hazel dormouse

I have started my newest illustrated talk and have chosen British mammals as the subject. I have was therefore delighted when a friend running a dormouse survey course asked for some images. We visited his survey area in Gloucestershire and as well as photographing habitat, feeding signs, boxes and handling techniques I was also lucky enough to have this little beauty pose for me.

A tricky subject!

With one thing and another I have been struggling to get any camera time of late so in desperation have been working on the only subject that can be done after my kids have gone to bed and without leaving home! My garden attracts up to three pipistrelles each night but they are very erratic, flying at different heights and only coming into view once they break the skyline. With no specialist kit, getting them in the shot, in focus and adequately lit has been a virtually impossible task. I shall be persevering however and enjoying these delightful little animals as they zip about feeding up before winter.

white tailed sea eagle

I have been a bit carried away this year photographing captive bred raptors. This is the grandaddy of them all though! What a bird!

Dotterel

Another short trip to the Highlands looking for dotterel came up trumps. It was a long climb to the mountain summit though and with all my gear I certainly earned my haggis and chips in the evening! I then went on to a small uninhabited island called Eilean Nan-Ron off the North coast near Tongue where I was able to photograph storm petrels and spend some time watching the breeding great skuas.

More raptors

I can't get enough of em! I love getting close to these most charismatic of birds. And the recent Bird Fair at Middleton Hall gave yet another oportunity to add to the collection. The falconer and I leading a workshop to photograph kestrel, tawny and barn owl. If you want to join me to photograph wild ospreys check out the focus4nature link.

Raptors in Mid Wales

I will be running some bird of prey photoshoots for Focus 4 Nature later this year so went to Mid Wales for a reckie at the falconry centre. It was a brilliant day with lovely sunshine and a smashing set of birds including this wondeful male goshawk. The shot looks simple enough but it took a lot of time to line up the dark background and then wait for the bird to look around the tree.

Cairngorms

I love going up to the highlands but another very quick trip to the Cairngorms was dissapointing with poor light continually spoiling opportunities for landscape and wildife photography. I even spent an entire night in a hide waiting for dawn and a black grouse lek. The grouse arrived but the sun never pierced the clouds. Good fun watching them posturing and displaying though.

Exciting news

I have been invited to join a new Wildlife Photographic Tour company Focus4Nature and lead tours over the next year or so. The first tour will be a brilliant 6 days in Finland photographing divers and osprey and should be a rewarding trip.

F4N will be running tours accross the globe to some of the best wildlife locations and the price will include everything even flights. For more details check out the new website http://www.focus4nature.co.uk/ for mine and other exciting tours.

Golden eagle on the moors

A very enjoyable day last month saw me in some attractive moorland working with a small group of raptors on a bird of prey photography shoot. The beautiful golden eagle was the main target but a European eagle owl was also an excellent subject. One day (early retirement beckons!) I shall photograph eagles again in the wild but for now these shots will do.