A Frustrating Week

This last week has been very frustrating mainly because of the awful weather we are currently experiencing.Every day has brought heavy rain and strong winds,frustrating efforts to get out with the camera.Last Sunday I returned from my usual walk via a local area where barn owls are present.As luck would have it one was out hunting and was being harried by a number of magpies.I watched it hunting for around twenty minutes before darkness began to fall. I didn't have any cameras or lenses with me so missed out on this opportunity.I was of course keen to return and was there again on Tuesday with camera gear but more heavy rain arrived.On Wednesday it was drier and I spent an hour waiting but no owls showed I will of course return when conditions allow.

Yesterday I decided on a run out to Fleetwood and Rossall as there was a big lunchtime tide and short eared and barn owls had been reported hunting late afternoon near to Rossall Hospital .The plan was to catch up on some wader watching and then hopefully see some owl action late afternoon.The weather was dry but  very dull and windy and more rain was on the way.I began at Fleetwood Marine Lake where a group of red breasted mergansers were fishing and I was able to take a few shots from the comfort of the car.I then moved on to the promenade at Rossall Point.The very high ten metre tide was beginning to fall and I found a group of sanderling which kept the camera busy for an hour or so.Then I left to sit in the car and await some owl action at Rossall Hospital.I was once again thwarted as very heavy rain and strong winds battered the Lancashire coastline.The journey home was not good through all the spray and traffic on the motorway.It doesn't look much better next week as the unsettled theme continues. Hope you enjoy the above images from the week,jay,robin and blackbird from my garden and sanderling,turnstone and a red breasted merganser from a stormy Fleetwood.Thanks for looking in and enjoy the weekend despite the stormy conditions.