Brexit Day..31.1.2020. Blog Update

At last Brexit has arrived as the United Kingdom leaves the European Union later today.I am just updating my blog for January 2020. It has not been good for photography this month with many days of anticyclonic gloom and I have not had many excursions with the camera.Of course I did manage a few excursions mainly to the Cockerham and Pilling areas which does seem to have been my patch over the Winter months.It never disappoints and the usual subjects of geese and barn owls feature in the images below.

A couple of trips to the coast at Fleetwood and Blackpool were made to see the snow buntings that were on the shore at Fleetwood and the starling roost at Blackpool North Pier.The images give a bit of variety to the blog but I look forward to more coastal visits soon to catch up with the winter visitors.The fourth image shows a large gull present at Pilling.I am not good at gull identification and am unsure as to it's identity.There has been a Caspian Gull and a Scandanavian Herring Gull in the area and it may be one of those.I await the id from a knowledgable friend of mine.

The mornings and afternoons are now getting lighter and it will be nice in February to get out more.All we need now is more sunshine and Spring will well and truly be on it's way.Thanks for looking in and I will be back post Brexit with more from my travels.

New Year 2020..Highlights

Belatedly some highlights from my trips out over the New Year period.The weather was a bit up and down but there were a few drier and brighter days when I could get out with the camera.It was good to get out and return to normality after the festive season.I spent a bit of time with the barn owls which have kept me busy recently and obtained some nice images, one of which heads this post.I travelled the usual back roads and lanes in the Cockerham and Pilling areas to see what was about.

Swans and geese were showing well and a number of Bewick's Swans were on view down Moss Lane in with the numerous Whooper swans.Eagland Hill was popular with birdwatchers who had come from far and wide to see the purple heron which was enjoying the area close to Jenkinson's potato farm and it's numerous field voles.One of my images below shows the heron with one of many voles it has caught.It is still around as I write enjoying the abundance of food.

Curlews,a grey heron,a common buzzard,kestrel and a robin posed for the camera in the Cockerham area.The post finishes with a couple more of the barn owls which have given me much pleasure over the last month or so.I now look forward to more days out as the days lengthen and it warms up as Spring is hopefully on it's way. Thanks for looking in and I will be back soon with more delights from Lancs.

End of Year at Martin Mere

For a change recently I have made one or two visits to Martin Mere Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Reserve.There is always plenty to see at the reserve and it was good to visit the various hides again.The predominant birds present at this time of the year are whooper swans and pink footed geese.Many of the swans and geese were feeding outside the reserve on neighbouring farmland and were photographable from some of the country lanes.

Later on the reserve I managed some flight shots of the swans and geese as they returned for their afternoon feed of grain supplied by the reserve.I was lucky to spot a barn owl as it emerged from it's roost in one of the buildings on the reserve.It wasn't easy to photograph through branches of trees and again I was lucky to see it catch prey within range of the camera but the images are not of the best quality and purely record shots.

Little egrets are now common at the reserve and often make for nice images.Probably the highlight of my visits was the common buzzard which spent some time preening whilst perched up out from the Gladstone Hide.It was well within camera range and looked good in the sun.A colourful mallard,pintail and waterhen complete the selection.This will probably be my last post of the year.Therefore I wish all my followers and fellow photographers a Happy and Healthy 2020.Thanks for looking in.

Christmas Mix...Owls,Geese and a Kestrel.

I have managed to get out with the camera recently on the few fine days in between what has been another very wet period.I went to the barn owl location where the barn owls were out early hunting field voles.On the way I had very nice views of a male kestrel posing on a roadside hedge.Also I paid a visit to an area frequented by pinkfooted geese and managed some images before they were disturbed by a dog walker.Later large numbers of geese were seen high up lit up by the afternoon sun.

I then concentrated on the pair of barn owls that were actively hunting and returning at regular intervals with field voles they had caught.They probably have young in the nearby farm buildings.I hope you enjoy the images below .Also shown a close up of a redwing at the top of a tree enjoying the afternoon sun.A great spotted woodpecker is also a regular visitor to the area.The close up of the perched barn owl was taken in very bright and strong late p.m sunshine and does seem a little overexposed but that is how it was!! Hope you all enjoy the Christmas festivities and I hope to get out again soon with the camera.Thanks for looking in.