(Walked on 14th March 2017 – 15.5 Miles) I woke to a grey sullen dawn, in a grey sullen mood. OK, OK, I admit it, OK? I wasn’t having fun. This was not the best walk of my life. After only four or five hours’ sleep, I was tired and I was despondent. And sullen. […]
(Walked on 13th March 2017 – 15 Miles + 3.5 getting lost) On a chilly-sunny March morning, we pulled into the small carpark at Overton Hill and the start of The Ridgeway. I hauled my rucksack from the boot, clasped it to my back, hugged partner, hugged son, said my goodbyes and waving over my […]
After mulling over which long-distance path to walk for my 2017 hiking holiday, I decided to revisit my first love, The Ridgeway. I first attempted to walk all of this path in 1981, failed, but then succeeded the following year. And if, as a newbie, I had found both experiences challenging, it also hooked me […]
The Anxious Gardener 
What amazing eyes – he does seem to be looking straight at you! How lucky to see him – we hear but rarely see. Brilliant photos.
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Thanks Sue. I heard that a barn owl has been seen near the Priory. That will be my next mission! D
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Great photos David. Seeing such lovely creatures makes the heart sing. In Australa we have a noisy visitor, the Koel, which comes from New Guinea and Indonesia to breed and is unrelenting in its call which gradually increases in pitch and urgency. I remember hearing a sleep deprived Scottish gent enquiring from a wildlife expert on the radio as to the identity of this noisy bird. When he was told it was the Koel, he responded “Well he will be a Cinder if I get my hands on him!”
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Ha! Naughty Koel. I had to hear what they sound like and having just found it on Youtube I can see why it call would grate. Ouch. I’d rather my tawny owl any day. D
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Great photographs! I tried to photograph a tawny owl in a neighbour’s tree. It was a very tall sort of pine tree and the owl kept too many branches between him and me for a good shot. He was a very noisy owl and would waken them up during the night. I don’t think you would ever see one unless you had an idea one was around. Amelia
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They obviously like tall, shrouded conifers, Amelia. You have described the roost tree at the Priory pretty well though it is more leylandii than pine. Even when I can hear him, I can’t always see him. He’s so well camouflaged. Dave
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Lovely shots. We have an owl outside our bedroom window too, but every time I go out with torch I just see a hazy shadow flying off. Today, however, I managed to see real, wild, short eared owls which fly in the daytime. It was very exciting. I didn’t have a good enough lens to get really good shots, but I was very happy nevertheless. I posted on it if anyone wants to see.
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I stopped at my local supermarket yesterday and there were a dozen or so owls on show including a tawny. It was good to see one really close up for once! I’ll check out your post. D
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There’s a local owl that wakes the neighbourhood up at around 1am and hoots for about 2 hours. Almost every night! I’ve never seen it despite a suspicion that it’s holding a large megaphone so should be easy to spot. I will remember Charles’ advice if ever I get a shot at it. Oh, I mean “of”, yes “of”! Focus on the eyes is good. Right between them! Not really as I love owls but would like to actually see this one. Or shut it up 😉
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I rather like falling asleep to the lullaby of hooting owls – though ‘mine’ calls from late morning onwards and so I tend to associate tawnies with daytime. Annoying that yours has a megaphone though. How inconsiderate. D
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great shot. Always focus on the eyes.
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Good advice, Charles … but he was sixty feet above my head in a waving tree, behind a screen of twigs! And he filled the single focusing square in my viewfinder. To be honest, I was pleased simply to see the fellow, let alone photograph him and focus on an eye. D
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‘Owl be seein’ you’ : ) He certainly has a certain look of mischievous glee….
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I may have to send you to the back of the class for that comment, Jo. I spent long moments waiting for him to open his eyes – he was quite sleepy. It had been a long night! D
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I’m surprised..Certainly looks as if his eyes are open..You of course would know for sure…Either way, glad you shared your owlish dilemna. @mrsmagoolives : )
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Oh, they are open in these shots, Jo – he just nodded off in between snaps!
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Very sweet…Wonder if you’ll have some owlets this spring?
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Gosh, what a cute thing! Must be breeding season about now, is there a pair?
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Not that I’ve heard nor seen, Eliza but here’s hoping. D
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He’s awfully cute. Love owls.
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At my local supermarket there were a dozen different owl species (for a photo-shoot not in the freezer) and it was great to see a tawny and various others close up. As you say, very cute. D
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Oh wow, David – I wouldn’t be complaining with these photos. What a treat to see – going quite green here 😉
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I just wish that he’d perch on an oak or hornbeam so I could I get a decent, clear shot. And he does – I find the pellets – but sadly not when I’m about. D
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Do the females fly off to warmer climes for winter (I would if I had wings). We seem to have a few too-woos but no too-wits.
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I’ve never heard a female at the Priory and only ever seen the male. I suspect you’re right and the girls head off to Capri for the winter. But then owls are very wise. D
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So, it seems are bats. I have a pair of pipistrelle males nesting in the cavity wall (damn, put paid to insulation plans). I only know that (as opposed to just bats nesting …) because a local bat group told me that the females are in the church tower about a quarter of a mile away. The males nip over for a bit of hanky-panky and then come home for a rest. There will, apparently always be two – an old ‘un and a young ‘un. When old ‘un dies, young ‘un will become old ‘un and find a new young ‘un. It’s like Roman times. I have gay bats in my cavity!
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I know that bats have summer and winter roosts as our old house had the 3rd largest serotine bat maternity roost in southern England! But I didn’t know the sexes split up or indeed that pipistrelles are so progressive. Saves a chilly flight over to the church tower, I suppose. What you really need, John, is a belfry of your very own. D
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At least you get to see yours 🙂 Ours just hoots at the side of the house just outside our bedroom, but has yet to make an appearance.
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He has a camera in his eye. Every time it twinkles it photographs you. The flash of an owl.
Esther Montgomery
http://estherandthetimemachine.blogspot.co.uk/ (New blog!)
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Hi Esther, he would have taken a good photo of me trying to navigate through branches and not fall in a ditch whilst trying to photograph him! Good luck with the new endeavour – you haven’t finished with the boring blog though have you? Dave
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Hi Michelle, considering I know which tree he roosts in, he’s still devilishly difficult to see and often, though I know he’s there, I can’t see him for the life of me. Hope your’s shows himself – it’s quite magical when you see him for the first time. D
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I’ve only managed to see barn owls so far – one flitted across the road nearby when I was driving back from Bristol one evening last year. That was magical, as was feeding some barn owl chicks high up in a barn in Mallorca, perched atop a precariously tilting 20 feet of hay bales 🙂
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There are barn owls in the vicinity but sadly I’ve never seen one at the Priory. Last year there were a pair nesting in an old barn on the Downs and I spent happy time watching them hunt. Now if only I can get them to nest at the Priory! D
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Not abandoned the Boring Blog but decided to do something different as a break. (Though fiction was my first entry into blogging.)
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