A PLEASANT SURPRISE

 We've had Tawny owls nesting up here for the last few years and it's always a pleasure to see them. They nest in an owl box which I've put up at the edge of the small wood near our home. Obviously because they're nocturnal you only get a fleeting glance or perhaps see the female fly off when we check the box. We hear them regularly calling at night and is great to listen to.

Last year I decided to put up two boxes one to replace the original box in which the bottom had rotted away and was uninhabitable, and a second to perhaps attract a Kestrel or Stockdove which will nest in these sort of boxes. We checked the original box back in March which had three Tawny eggs in so I was well pleased that they had took to the new box. There was nothing in the other box but there was plenty of time as we were still in the month of March. A week or so later outside the second box was the Male Tawny he had decided to use the second box to roost in and was just sat there on a branch in full view. I quickly got my camera and took some photo's of this cheeky male who stayed in full view for the next week or so until the leaves on the trees got thicker and hid the box and him from view.

male tawny owl in full view

on the entrance to the box

For me this was a great opportunity to have cracking views and to be able to photograph a Tawny owl in broad daylight.

I don't know if I'll get this chance again but what an experience. I haven't checked the main box in which the female was sitting on them three eggs, but with him on guard I should hope that she successfully reared a healthy brood.

I've left them in peace over the last couple of months so I should think the chicks are out of the box by now and are in the trees near by still being fed by their parents. By October they should be independent and the adults will start to drive them out of their territory so they will have to find territories of their own.

AN OLD SCHOOL FRIEND (BEST MATE)

After just over 40 years I finally met up with my old school mate Steve (Eba) Bool.  We were both heavily into our birds back then as we still are today. Steve is a great digiscoper and some of his video's and pictures that he's taken through his scope can be seen at our local Facebook site GWENT BIRDERS. We've been out birding together a couple of times since we met up and this is a post of a mornings birding at his local wood which leads through farmland and to the top of a mountain side.

my old school buddy Eba and myself. We haven't changed a bit.

We first went through his local wood where there was a cacophony of bird song, this wood is where last spring Steve watched a pair of Sparrowhawks from egg laying to the chicks fledging which was in his words "a brilliant experience".

Here's a couple of the birds in his wood I managed to photograph.

song thrush

black cap (male)

willow warbler

We also had a rare treat when we must have walked into the territory of a Firecrest. What a beautiful little bird, it came in pretty close and I managed to get just a record shot, we decided to move away to leave the bird alone as it must have been nesting there somewhere and they are I think a schedule 1 species so shouldn't be disturbed.

firecrest showing it's distinctive white eye stripe 

We walked through a farm and on top of his local mountainside where there were a few heathland birds on show, here's a couple of images from there.

stonechat

meadow pipit

male linnet

female house sparrow

buzzard

skylark

another mipit

After a few hours out we made our way back down to Steve's house where we had tea and biscuits and a good old catch up. He's a great character and an excellent birder and I hope with work and our busy lives we'll still find time to have a few more days out birding.

WILLOW WARBLER

One of my very first signs of Spring each year is the sound of the Willow Warblers returning back to the farm and setting up territories with their delightful ascending little song.

A very close relative of the Chiffchaff (they're practically identical except for their song) but for some reason we never get Chiffchaff up here, you have to say they're a great addition to our Summer migrants.

singing willow warbler

A lovely little leaf Warbler that remarkably for it's size travels all the way to the UK from it's wintering grounds in tropical Africa each year to breed.

THE SWALLOWS

 Every year the Swallows arrive back at the Farm from their Wintering grounds in Africa.

This year a male arrived in early April and was finally joined by a female a week or so later. We usually have a few pair up here but this year only the one pair has turned up so I'm hoping they'll be successful  and I'll be seeing the chicks flying around here soon.

the male with the long streamers on the tail

another male

female

and another

Here's a short clip of a male calling in early spring.

Like I've already said let's hope this pair is successful and we see some young Swallows flying about soon.

SPRING TIME CHATS

Well Spring is all but over but it's been quite a decent season for myself with a good number of Spring/Summer migrants seen and photographed.

The chats are always a pleasure to see and back in April I photographed this female Wheatear which had just arrived back from it's wintering grounds in Africa.

female wheatear

The Stonechat although not a migrant but a resident species comes back on territory at the Farm every year and this year they have been very abundant with territories everywhere.

male

chick

female

These are gorgeous little birds and the males are stunning.

male stonechat

and another

Another migrant Chat that migrates here to breed from Africa is the Redstart, these birds are hole nesters and readily take up the old holes in the trees near my home or nest in a few of my nest boxes which I've put up around the Farm.

male

female

They are a beautiful bird and I am very lucky to have them nesting on my doorstep. 

I've had the opportunity to take several images of both male and female, I think they've had a good year this year as they also seem to be everywhere.

trying out one of the nestboxes

Last two images of the male and the female, I have to say they are stunning.

As a footnote another stunning little Chat the Whinchat used to be a regular at the Farm but sadly no longer, I did see one in early April (no photo I'm afraid) but although I've looked for them throughout the Spring I think that bird must have been passing through. Never mind maybe next year.

SISKIN FOR STEVE

A couple more slo - mo videos for you, my good friend Steve Carter loves a Siskin so here's a short video of - first Goldfinches squabbling at my sunflower hearts feeder and then a male Siskin at the same feeders.

                                                  ENJOY!

Really enjoying using my new Vortex scope and looking forward to getting out in the field and honing my digiscoping skills.

Thanks for visiting my blog and I'll catch you all soon.

DIGISCOPING WITH THE VORTEX VIPER HD

Got the Vortex Viper HD spotting scope for Christmas off my lovely wife so I've been trying my hand at digiscoping again with the iPhone 12 and a Viking adapter to keep the phone and scope attached.

Here's a couple of images of the scope with the adapter attached. I use it now in horizontal mode although in the picture I have it set up vertically.

my new scope

and with the attachment

Here's some pictures I've taken with the set up although not as sharp as my DSLR still I think pretty good.

nuthatch

goldfinch

jay

great tit

great spotted woodpecker

The iPhone 12 has a great camera and video camera with a slow motion mode which captures slo - mo video at 120 or 240 frames per second. Here's a clip in slo - mo, it's just at my feeders I'm afraid but you still get to see and appreciate the movement and fine markings of the birds up close.

The video is of a female Great spotted woodpecker, the stills picture above is of the male.

                                               

I've captured a couple more slo - mo videos and I'll put them up on my next blog.

Thanks for dropping by and a belated Happy New Year to you all see you next time.