Red Belted Clearwing

Our garden is relatively new, sitting on a housing estate that is only about 15 to 20 years old, with our house being one of the last built around ten years ago. Like all new housing estates, the gardens are small and essentially started as green concrete — but in the six years or so we have been here, I have worked hard on turning it into a little oasis. 

We now have a hedge at the bottom, two apple trees, a pear tree and a plum tree along the side, a wildflower area and loads of flowers for bees and butterflies. The hedgerow and fruit trees have matured nicely, and now when I put a lure out I can expect ten or more Red-belted Clearwing moths. A species that would have been completely unseen here just a few years ago — proper proof that if you build it, they will come. 

I took this back in June, during a family BBQ of course!

 

Blue Tit Bath

 

More Long-tailed Shrike Action

 

A few more shots of the Long-tailed Shrike from last week. It was quite active, hunting grasshoppers and the like whilst we were there. I love shrikes and this bird was tremendous value in the short time we were there.

Barn Owl with prey

 

The Barn Owl is of course one of the nation's most beloved birds, and around here we are incredibly lucky — in a normal year I can usually find one within a mile of my home. This is the same owl as in the previous photos, as you can tell from the damaged ringed leg. On this occasion it flew incredibly close past me as it headed back to the nest. What an absolute privilege!

More Long-eared Owl Portraits

On a windy May evening I was watching this Long-eared Owl hunt from a tree stump (see earlier posts) when it decided to fly off — which was fine, as I had a pretty full memory card with about a thousand shots of the owl looking in every possible direction. 

To my surprise it didn't go far, landing nearby on another exposed branch and again listening intently for rodents below as the wind made hunting difficult. We often think of owls struggling in periods of prolonged rainfall, but prolonged windy spells can be just as challenging.

Another Lifer- Long-tailed Shrike!

 

On Monday afternoon we had to be in Cambridge, so I convinced Amy that the Cotswolds was on the way home — which it was, it just took two and a half hours to get there from Cambridge and the same to get home! We parked up and made the short walk to the mighty crowd gathered to watch Britain's third ever Long-tailed Shrike — following the second in Fife a few weeks ago and the first some 26 years ago on the Hebrides!

Views were never that close, but we were fortunate that the bird flew towards us and started hunting just within range of my new camera, the Canon R5 Mk II. Even better, the sun disappeared behind a cloud and the heat shimmer settled for a bit.

We didn't stay long as an early start beckoned the following morning, but it was great to complete my set of shrikes on the British list — and we had such a laugh. A spontaneous jaunt, spending more time in the car than watching the bird — a proper twitch, absolutely bonkers!

As Amy said, "you have to shrike while the iron is hot!"

Long-eared Owl Portraits

Another look at an adult Long-eared Owl from back in May. I assume it's a male, as in my experience with these birds the male leaves its roost to go hunting first, leaving the female with the young. She will then start calling as it gets dark and go off to hunt herself. This season has been unique for me — both males of the two broods I was originally watching were leaving to hunt before sunset, and this individual was doing so several hours before sunset on occasion. I've never witnessed anything like it in all the years I've been watching owls here.

On this occasion I used a large willow tree to conceal my approach. Once within range I slowly manoeuvred into a clear view of the owl, which was completely relaxed and unfazed by my presence. As it was windy, the owl was hunting from a perch rather than on the wing. This was one of the best encounters I had with an adult owl all spring. What an absolute privilege.

Side lit Barn Owl

Of course photos with the sun behind you are great, but sometimes it's nice to get something a little different. As the Barn Owl flew in front of a bush, the sun cast a beautiful side light, throwing the foliage into shadow behind it — a completely different look to the usual well-lit shot. 

Hudwit Lifer

On Saturday Dad and I visited Cattawade on the Suffolk/Essex border. The Hudsonian Godwit kept us waiting before eventually appearing on the north marsh on the Suffolk side of the border. Views were initially distant but it eventually flew in closer, giving great scope views of this new bird for us both. It wasn't ideal for photography, being just that little bit too distant and quite heat hazy — but no matter, I got some record shots, and it's great to get another lifer so soon after the Western Reef Heron.

Robin at the pool

A young Robin regularly visited the pool whilst I was waiting for Crossbills earlier in the spring. The light was ever changing as the sun glowed through the branches and foliage of the mature woodland, and on this particular dip the Robin caught the light beautifully.
 

Barn Owl and Crowland Abbey

 

As well as Long-eared Owls, I've also been watching a local Barn Owl family. Raising a couple of young in a nearby barn, this ringed bird was very successful at catching voles, bringing one back every twenty minutes or so on some nights.

I used the river bank as cover and watched this owl fly up and down the bank in front of the iconic Crowland Abbey — a truly special setting for wildlife watching.

It has been a great vole year, and it's wonderful to see the local owls doing so well after the struggles of last summer.

More hunting Owls

A couple of different male Long-eared Owls taken on the same night from the spring. On this occasion both birds came out around sunset, so they were a bit of a challenge to photograph — but it was great to share the experience with my wife and her parents. The flight shot was taken after sunset; just as we were giving up, my father-in-law turned around to see one hunting right behind us! Absolute owl magic.

Siskin at the drinking pool

We don't often see Siskins around the Deepings in summer, so a young bird that appeared whilst I was photographing at the reflection pool earlier in the month was quite a surprise. They are suspected to have bred at nearby Maxey, which isn't very far away, and perhaps their range is expanding more generally. Whatever the case, it was great to see and photograph.