Evening Drive

This week I have been out on my usual round,that is driving the quiet lanes and back roads of Bowland.The weather has continued in a settled and warm mode with high pressure dominating.It has been a wonderful experience to drive on deserted roads and enjoy the splendid scenery and wonderful wildlife that Bowland has to offer.

I have not seen any brown hares or roe deer this week.The farmers have been very busy cutting their grass crops and the hares have nowhere to hide but I am sure they will be around on future trips.I have however had more sightings of tawny and barn owls.The barn owls have been busy hunting and taking advantage of what has been a bumper year for field voles.The field vole constitutes the major part of a barn owl's diet and this year the young owlets won't go hungry.The population of barn owls should also recover from last years decline in numbers.

I looked in on a tawny owl which has a regular roosting spot in a dilapidated barn on one of the backroads.It posed nicely for me to grab a few images before I left it in peace.A pair of curlews were enjoying the lovely evening sunshine as I drove out of Slaidburn and they also posed nicely for the camera on a stone wall.My final encounter of the evening was another splendid barn owl again posing on a moorland wall and on it's way back with a vole to it's waiting family.  I have also shown a  kestrel hunting and hovering over Longridge Fell as I set out on my evening drive. Thanks for looking in and hope you enjoy my selection of images from a super evening in Bowland.