East Coast Barn Owl Encounter.

Looking pleased here as we were tipped off today as to where the barn owl would be hunting.

First task was to try and conceal myself by trying to break up my outline with camouflage.

It was breathtaking as the barn owl started to fly towards me and start hunting on the banking.It looks as if they can feel the wind under their wings.

Hunting was the one thing on this barn owl's mind.After a few minutes it moved on to other fields.

Waiting patiently, it returned about an hour later.This time it seemed intent on finding a suitable post to spy its prey from.

Exceptional hearing is the barn owl's most important hunting tool.One ear is slightly higher than the other.So the owl can calculate the exact position of the sound source. A single barn owl, on average, captures 2,000 mice and voles  every year.

It's heart shaped face and snowy white underparts are stunning to observe.It was recently voted Britain's favourite farmland bird.It lives for around 4 years.It's presence is heard by screeching,hissing,yapping and snoring.

After watching for about 15 minutes where it was post hopping, it launched off into a nearby dell which was quite woody.I felt this background gave it a mystical quality.

'Birdorable'.

Tree Sparrows are birds of farmland,hedgerows and woodland edges.They are not associated with man in the way that the House Sparrow is in the U.K. Many people think of them as the country cousin to the House Sparrow.

Last week in East Yorkshire once I had "got my eye in",they were easy to separate from the House Sparrows.This is a good time of year to spot them before the leaves appear on the trees.

They are described as a small,tidy looking bird.A chestnut crown and black patches on the cheeks tell it apart from the house sparrow.

From a colony of Tree Sparrows can be heard a "teck-teck" call.

I find them fascinating to watch as they are so agile.Often they are described as "birdorable".

East Coast Easter Break.

Bitterly cold easterly winds prevented the seabirds arriving to reclaim their cliff nesting sites.Interesting to watch their arrivals with the changes in weather conditions.The agile razorbills claimed their ledges.Wonderful orange mouth linings are seen as they start to bill to each other.

                         Observing the razorbill from Bartlett Nab observation point.

Britain's Favourite Bird.

This photo shows our national bird in all its glory. Look after your garden robins well, this winter, as average life expectancy is only 1.1 years, due to high mortality in their first year. Getting beyond this is a blessing and they can then live as old as 12 years!

I find robins so photogenic. They turn to the left, to the right, face on, stand with their back to you and look over their 'wing' at you.

You can feed robins food such as mixed seed, nyjer seed, fat balls, suet sprinkles, sun flower seeds, peanuts as well as kitchen scraps like mild grated cheese, cooked rice and porridge oats.

It is the Big Garden Birdwatch this weekend (26th and 27th January 2013) giving people across the UK the chance to be part of the world's biggest wildlife survey. If you wish to take part details can be found at www.rspb.org.uk

My Best Moment, 2012

My best moment was an early morning close encounter with an inquisitive red squirrel, on the Underscar Estate, near Keswick in Cumbria, who decided it was time to pose for me.

I was unaware at first that this red squirrel was watching me from a very safe distance as I put hazelnuts into a hiding place in the boundary wall.

With its ears poking upwards it seemed captivated watching where I would move to next. It seemed to know if it waited patiently I would leave it to eat the nuts in peace.

When it feels I've retreated to a safe distance, it creeps into the boundary wall and checks out the hazelnuts.

The bold squirrel uses its nose and whiskers to select the chosen nut.

King of the castle, the red squirrel savours the hazelnut.

A privileged moment for me on the morning of 20th November. These six shots were taken in sequence very quickly. I love how this red squirrel could show me so many poses in so short a time.

Hide and seek with a red squirrel.

                                                       Woodland Walk Waterfall


The Castlerigg Underscar Apartment, situated close to the entrance of the beautiful woodland walk, gave me the welcome opportunity to observe the red squirrels in the conifer trees. Their acrobatics in the branches were as good to watch as any trapeze artist at a circus.

                                                  Entrance to the Woodland Walk

I left some hazelnuts in the nook of a conifer tree at the top of the woodland walk; within minutes the red squirrel had discovered them. Good eyesight and an excellent sense of smell enables it to find food quickly.

                                              Steps leading leading down to the stream

                                   Red squirrel making use of the steps to hunt for nuts.

                                                                     Found some

Then the magic began as I watched them spend time in the tree tops leaping from one branch to another, balanced to perfection. The squirrel holds its tail straight and behind during a long leap, it swings it from side to side as it hurries along a swaying branch. Sensitivity to touch is well developed with special hairs (vibrissae) on its feet and at the base of its tail as well as whiskers on the face.

As I continued to observe, this red squirrel seemed to favour a particular branch. I watched as it marked its regular routeway by face wiping. Wiping their faces on tree branches is in order to deposit a smelly secretion from a glandular lip plate as a sort of calling card. Probably the chief way squirrels recognise one another is by smell; and leaving your own personal smell about the place is a way of marking out your space, even though this space is not defended.

This squirrel then decided to observe me using the branches as cover, before moving down to the feeders. Once a nut was chosen, it settled on the wall, holding its tail behind it. The  hairs on its tail are over 8 cm long and have a parting down the middle. Good this squirrel is enjoying its nut so much as they are hopeless at remembering where they bury them.

A BIG,BIG THANK YOU TO UNDERSCAR

"Are all these photographs taken at Underscar?" is a question I am frequently asked by Underscar timeshare owners and staff. 

I take many photos of the red squirrels on the Underscar Estate, and produce cards and postcards, which are sold to raise funds to continue supplementary feeding of these beautiful little creatures. My photos are usually taken around Derwent and Grange Apartment patios. The red squirrels seem to appreciate the feeding stations here. The photos at Derwent are taken the first two weeks in August. The photos at Grange are taken in October. A change of photo shoot in November sees us at Castlerigg Apartment. Here the boundary wall is the backdrop for many shots.

Castlerigg  is the last lodge on the right and you
can see the boundary wall sloping down the hill.

Squirrel taken from Castlerigg in November.
This squirrel is displaying its winter ear tufts

    Another red squirrel moving along the boundary wall towards
the feeding station.

   Derwent Apartment patio and you can also see the patio to
 Grange which is the apartment furthest away.

Squirrel investigating the feeder in the Derwent garden

 Red squirrel looking closely at a tree trunk strategically placed
 on the Derwent patio and stuffed with hazelnuts.

Climbing to the very top of the basket
squirrel feeder in Grange garden

Using the garden cover to sneak up on the hidden nuts.

Squirrel looking over the Grange patio

The feeding log is popular and has now
been moved to the Grange patio.

I would like to express my thanks to everyone - the owners and others who purchase the cards. Each year I will produce new cards from my August, October and November visits to Underscar. 

The staff at Oxley's reception desk have done a terrific job in selling the cards and postcards - so much so that the number of cards and postcards sold has reached one thousand..

The maintenance staff are to be commended in constructing new boxes, filling and cleaning feeders and purchasing feed. Any grey squirrel sightings are reported to Glenis, Richard and Julian.

Underscar maintenance staff do a sterling job with the feeders.

Once again thanks to everyone for supporting the Underscar Red Squirrel colony.

One happy squirrel.