11 Years The Reward.

So I drive somewhere different this morning, and watch the Rabbits,  Brown Hare, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Skylark and Meadow Pipit all starting the new day. I come to a dead end and sit and look over a valley imaginings of Barn Owl, Short Eared Owl flying low looking for food for the young Owlets. I am so appreciated of the beauty of the English countryside.

Hundreds of hours of searching 11 years with just a few sightings and always sitting in a gutter or hiding in a small crevis. This bird has alluded me for 11 years. So I start to drve back to my resting place, windows down camera on my lap. The stone wall runs alongside me on both sides, my eyes are trained to locate anything out of the ordinary.

I stare ahead and whisper the words Little Owl, please stay calm and let me spend some time with you, I bring you no harm my little Owl.

I stopped the car and slowly raise my lens up hoping it won’t fly away. Most encounters end with the Owl flying away before you stop, but this day was mine, the hours of dedication rewarded in a brief moment in time. The right time, place, my heart starts to race as our eyes meet through my viewfinder. I stare at the Owls face its eyes fixed on me.

Hello Blackie.

The sight of this fantastic hunter, amazing ability to adapt and overcome the changing climate. It sits with one foot up showing me its relaxed so I calm down a bit and have time to check my settings, they have to be right so I change my aperture 6.3 to 7.1 up to f8. Then I 5hink of Shutter speed just In case it moves or does something out of the ordinary.

Get this one Blackie

The experience is overwhelming and I forget all what’s going on around me. It preens in the morning sun not bothered about me. My Shutter is blazing away, stopping checking all is OK on my viewfinder. 11 years of waiting they have to be good. Then it decides to stretch.

O that’s nice just getting ready to fly for Blackie.

So I fly for you and sit for you, its your time Blackie it was worth the wait.

So Blackie and the Little Owl meet in the countryside and spend some quiet time together for the first time. 495 images later he decides to leave the Owl in peace, maybe to return for another meeting.

Wonderfulness

4am Thoughts

Waking up with the sound of the little Robin outside the bedroom window, silver birch stood like soldiers no movement. Silent no wind or rain, peace fills the body and mind, a smile starts to make shape on the mans face as he realises what he has, thankful for the wonderful life that he lives. He sits looking out of the window his mind calm like a lake no ripple can be seen, his heart beats like the old bike he had slow but in time. The day is about to begin again another day, one that will be another achievement, to look after his flock the best he can, to make them safe and happy as he is, there needs come first and knowing this makes him happy to continue his day.

Will he rescue another Baby Lamb that is crying for its mum stood feet away and no body to help, it bothers him but freeing it gives him so much joy to see it run and head butt mum under her belly as it craves for her milk. Lifting the little baby bird from the road into the grass, filling the feeders first thing, he sits down with his beautiful Bella and gazes out at the Stunning male Bullfinch as it comes first for sunflower for its young that sing close by. Joined by baby Goldfinch, young Tree Sparrow and Greenfinch.

Bella sits on his shoulder and gently nudges his mouth, the communication between bird and man tells him Bella wants a drink so they walk to the get a drink, bows her head and drinks looking up after she drinks just like all birds do looking for danger, after 3 sips of water Bella looks at her Dad and says “Thanks Dad”. The bond is one only he knows his teaching and knowledge passed to his 3 year old Congo African Grey Parrot. He understands her body language her feather display, her Pupil size, her posture all telling him what mood she is in.

Keeping his flock happy daily is his goal one he has to tend to carefully with love and kindness that always comes first. He can now make a Wooden Owl for his friends or pick the camera up and find some wonderful wildlife to film, pass his knowledge of photography on to his mate. He will run out of time 5am to 2100hrs is not enough in Blackie’s world, but the light will fade eventually and he will lay down knowing his flock is happy and he filled his day with all things he loves in this wonderful life he lives.

I am so grateful for what i have.

Blackie

Time Away To Reflect

hi folks its been a while since i wrote a blog, i had no plan to stop writing but felt it time to return and try and get back to my writing again. I have lots of news but will start with the camera news. My mate and Workhorse Sony A7R4 Died on me about 5 weeks ago with no warning at all. It was out of warranty and after the insurance company messed me about i had no choice but to get a second hand Sony A9.

Loosing half my resolution going from 61mp to 24 is a loss but the speed of the A9 has opened a new world for me, people that follow me know that i love flight shots or any action shots, so the A9 has given me a better hit rate.

The time on site has been very busy and instead of going down to the Hide i have been concentrating on the river for the Kingfisher and up on the moors looking for the Short Eared Owl.

Sitting waiting for hours pays off as other wildlife comes to you without any effort, this will become a big part of the gallery and add some lovely species of bird to my already huge gallery.

Aims this year have been the Kingfisher, Brown Hare and Red Fox and i am glad to say i have met all my challenges spending hours waiting for the image. Together with Bullfinch and Dipper, baby Curlew and many more its been a great season up to now.

Please enjoy the gallery and feel free to ask any questions.

Last Aim of the year is to film the Short Eared Owl and that will make the season complete.

Living in Paradise

When i look outside and see the dull cloudy day it usually means a day in doors, but when you live in the country its totally different and my mind just fills with challenges i can try. Having trees grass woods streams and meadows filled with wild flowers just becomes a photo heaven for me.

Everywhere you look there is something of interest and having different styles of photography and having the lens and camera to take such a image is a great tool if you can call it that. So with this in mind i ventured out with 2 camera’s and a ND filter which can be used for all types of things but i wanted it to cretae a nice stream image with silky water. It is still something i need to work at but the scene was lovely so i tried a few shots.

The last image was taken using the Sony A7r4 with 61mp so to get the true colour image resolution and whole scene you should really see it on a HD Tablet or TV screen to see the pure beauty of it. I have it as a screen saver and its Stunning. Only downside to the world and image veiwing is that most people will see this on a 5 inch Mobile phone screen.

So i then triwd a few Bluebell images using the Sony 90mm Macro lens another type of photography that requires hours and hours of practice. Because of the magnification of the lens its very hard to get the whole subject sharp.

Bluebells with 90MM Macro Lens

Wildlife Update

arriving late this season was a shame but the wildlife seems to be behind the usual time. The Swallow has only just arrived and the Jacdaw Crow are still collecting material for the nest. But it looks like the Tawny Owl is well into the breeding process with the first young one seen last night.

Saying that the Kingfisher seems to be well behind and not feeding like you would expect at the end of April. I see the first young fledge around 1st May so it will need more observations this week to see if both adults are busy on the river. I have had a fantastic 2 weeks seeing the Red Fox, Roe Deer and Buzzard all in image distance with some great shots to go to my collection.

The Red Fox being my best image of the year so far

Then spending time on the river i came across the Kingfisher and after a few visits i managed to get a few images, which are not the best and i hope to get better when i visit next, as i dont think the young have fledged yet.

So with the first few weeks on site a real good start it just got better when i found out that a Barn Owl Nest Box i built and placed up on the moors in my mates barn has got a adult bringing voles in, means they could have young in it.

I will be updating as i find more birds and animals on site and on my travels

Blackie

Always Be Prepared For The Unexpected

sitting having my coffee in the Deer Hide i thought it would be a good idea to put some seed out for the little birds, i focused in on the feeder and was trying to get the birds before they landed. Using a high shutter speed of 1/5000 of a sec. It was very hit and miss wjen i was about to call it a day.

Ilooked up to see a big pair of eyes looking at me behind the lens, the Buzzard had come in as i was chewcking my camera and sat on a Log i had placed for the birds before they land. I could not believe my eyes and fired some shots off before it got scared of the shutter sounding.

Buzzard

You just have to love nature it comes to those who wait, ejoy the moment like i did.

Waiting for the Owl

I made boxes for the birds in Goodenbergh Country Park and 3 years ago I made a Barn Owl nest box and placed it in a tree near to my wildlife hide.

The Jacdaw Squirrels and Stock Doves usually get in the box first but I got a really nice surprise when I was just sitting in the Deer hide. The sight of a Tawney Owl flying headfirst at the box and carrying a mouse in for what looks like young.

I can’t wait to see if the family are successful and rear a family for the good of the site. I have only seen your Owls about 5 years ago. Keeping very quiet I sat and watched the male come out of the box and sit there for a good 10 min then it flew into a tree next to me just out of sight.

New Location

My Friend

Set up a new temporary Hide in Bluebell wood. I went back for my tea and returned at 18.45hrs.

As soon as I sat down a Brown Hare went past but I just watched it. Then within minutes a Red Fox went past so I changed location to film it coming back to the woods. It sat for me and I got a lovely 4k video. I moved away so it could get to its cubs.

Our second meeting.

Then I say back in my Hide and above me was a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers mating something I have never witnessed before. A Jay flew over then a Buzzard.

It could not have gone any better my first time in my new Hide but it did. I spotted 2 white Bums in the field opposite me and it was a Male and Female Roe Deer feeding on the grass.

Just noticed a Male and Female Mallard about 100 feet away I flushed them out today so they may have young down there. You never know what will turn up and being away so long and the woods so quiet the wildlife has got used to peace and quiet.

It’s that quiet I can the chomping on the grass behind me from the Lamb’s The light has gone so I will finish the writing and make my way back to the van.

Slowly I move out of my Hide and treading carefully I made my way along the path, only to be met by the Roe Deer eating the grass from the path edged

No Thoughts

This is not negative writing but a first for me and have to describe my feelings.

As readers know my mind play tricks on me and the latest is truly amazing, I have been living up at my static van in the countryside with my 2 Beautiful ladies, Ruth and Bella for 3 weeks.

I came home to our house yesterday and after doing what I had to do I sat down and for a moment I asked myself, why are you not thinking of anything at all. My head felt clear, clean, at peace, are can’t describe how it felt.

It carried on and I could not see my boat by the lake waiting for me to get in and row to the middle.

So I wake and for a second I look out of our bedroom window and see the sun come up, the feeling is still there.

A calmness in my head I wish I could save bottle and sell, so I had to write this as I feel so wonderful.

Blackie

Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started