Curlew Sandpiper Close Up

 

There is something truly special about tame juvenile waders, fresh off the Arctic tundra. The first humans this Curlew Sandpiper had ever come across were probably standing at a Peterborough brick pit — which is completely bonkers when you think about it. It didn't just show well, it actually walked up to Mike Weedon and me, coming to within less than two feet at times, feeding happily and completely unperturbed. The first photo shows the rarely seen tongue — long like a woodpecker's!

Wood Warbler in Shetland

I'm not long back from a family holiday to northern Scotland, Orkney and Shetland. We promised ourselves we would take it easy in Shetland, but as usual things didn't quite turn out that way. There was a small fall of migrants last week, so I took Dad to Quendale to see a Wood Warbler — a lifer for him. It gave the best views I've ever had of the species, showing remarkably well despite the strong wind.
 

More Juvenile Long-eared Owl

I've been watching juvenile Long-eared Owls for many years and it's always entertaining to watch their head bobbing and turning as they work out where to fly next.

Long-eared Owl take off

I had a very narrow window of opportunity to grab a few shots of this Long-eared Owl as it took off from the branch I had been photographing it on. Luckily the focus remained on the bird!
 

Dancing Egret

Little Egrets are fantastic to watch when they are fishing — so alert, perfectly still one moment and charging about the next. I was patiently waiting at the edge of the Welland at Deeping Lakes when this bird landed nearby. It was mostly walking away from me, but suddenly caught sight of a fish and leapt up, doing a little dance in the water — which I was rather pleased to capture!

Roosting juvenile Long-eared Owl

This juvenile Long-eared Owl roosted in the same willow for several weeks, sometimes alongside one of its siblings. On one of the best evenings, it was already sat out in the open when I arrived — quite a sight to come across. I am fairly used to finding Long-eared Owls roosting in willow trees, but rarely out in the open like this.

Barn Owl again

 

More Bank Vole

 Bank Voles are just too cute aren't they?

Little Egret

Whilst waiting one evening at water level on the River Welland, adjacent to Deeping Lakes LWT, I was lucky enough to have this Little Egret fly by and land not too far away. It fished in the shallows quite successfully and was in absolutely stunning condition. I'm so used to seeing egrets just loafing in the trees at the lake, or dozing on the islands of East Pit, that it was great to watch one so actively in action!

More Long-eared Owl

A few more of an adult Long-eared Owl from back in May.
 

More Flying Young Long-eared Owl

More shots of the young Long-eared Owls learning the ropes. Watching them develop their hunting skills over the course of just a few evenings was quite remarkable — from unsteady first flights between branches to hovering confidently over the grass below. You could almost see the instinct switching on in real time. More to follow, of course!

Juvenile Long-eared Owl Portraits From June

Having watched young Long-eared Owls for long enough to recognise them from adults, this bird seemed to change from looking really young to almost adult-like in just a week. At this point it was still squeaking — perhaps only to its siblings? Hard to know with such a nocturnal species. These photos were taken after sunset — in fact the last one was taken over 30 minutes after sunset, such was the lack of cloud and the strength of the moonlight! A truly magical evening that I won't forget in a hurry.

Flying Juvenile Long-eared Owl

Sometimes the stars align with birding and bird photography. This young Long-eared Owl and its siblings were wonderful to watch as they started to learn how to fly and practice hunt. These photos were taken quite early on in its flying career. Occasionally it would stop and hover, presumably after hearing a rodent below and instinct kicking in — a remarkable thing to witness. This brood offered a rare chance to watch and photograph young Long-eared Owls in flight at length. A true privilege.