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.

Winter Thrushes and a Barn Owl

My first post for December follows a similar theme to my last posting.There are still plenty of fieldfares present in the countryside gorging themselves on the abundant berry crop.On my latest trip out with the camera I found more fieldfares together with a few redwings feeding on the hawthorn berries.They were showing well close to the road and I was able to get some nice shots from the car before they were moved on by passing tractors and cars.I was on my way to a nearby location for barn owls where at this time of the year the barn owls are often out in the early afternoon hunting when the weather is good.

The barn owls appeared on cue around 2pm and were busy hunting .I was joined by Ian and Kevin and we all had a great time trying to capture the action.I got some reasonable images of the owls with field voles they had caught returning to their home in nearby farm buildings.These hunting barn owls will be the subject of a later post.In the meantime I am showing other recent images of these barn owls as they perched up in the nearby hawthorn hedge allowing a close approach for some nice portrait shots.

Hope you like my efforts at capturing these lovely birds and when the weather improves I will be back for more action and hopefully return with yet more images of these enigmatic birds.Barn Owl photography is addictive and is a wonderful way to spend a winter's afternoon.Thanks for looking in and hope my images take you well away from General Election and Christmas preparations.