NestCams Live 2013

I've moved the NestCam live video stream to this link on the right as it slows down the loading of my website when it's on the front page.
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Snapshot from Tuesday 19th February 2013

Unfortunately no birds nested in any of my boxes last year but I live in hope for 2013.  As you will sometimes see here, I currently have a Blue Tit roosting overnight in one of my nest boxes and I just hope it will nest here too.

Please be aware that it is usually dark at roosting time (but you knew that didn't you!) and so the image quality will be poorer and the colours will have turned monochrome.

The Blue Tit is currently coming in to roost at about 5:45pm each night, usually just after dark (although sometimes as early as 5:00pm depending on the weather) and leaves at around 6:45am each morning.  Obviously these times will change as the daylight lengthens.

Click here to see the NestCam live video streams which have been moved to a new page.

Note to Self

Need to write up the following with photos:

• North Wales trip with Mike Baron (Jan 2013)
• Solo trip to Anglesey and North Wales coast (3, 4 and 5th Feb)
• Solo trip to Dumfries and Galloway and the Solway Firth area (10, 11 and 12th Feb)
• Wirral trip with Mark Cain (19th Feb)
• Martin Mere trip (March)

But please don't hold your breath for them!

Barn Owl Record Shots

Barn Owl

I've found a location for seeing a Barn Owl quite regularly in the afternoon around 4pm and so I visited it a few times last week.  Unfortunately, due to interference, the locations of Owls is generally kept quiet so I won't be publishing the details here, only the photos.  However, this place is quite well-known and I've seen two Barn Owls at the same time here which don't seem phased by the presence of people or dogs.

I first saw the Owls this year in January when it was snowing and I didn't manage to get very close, but this week I've got my best photo yet which is shown at the top of this post.  I've still a long way to go in getting a good photo, but this location bodes well for managing it, as I'm sure that one day the bird will fly past me at close range - I just need to be ready for it!

Whilst I was there one evening I met up with local photographers Darryl and John who have been photographing birds here for a long time.  They gave me some useful tips for getting a good shot of the bird as well as some other nearby locations for other birds.  A key thing that I learnt is the importance of covering your face with a balaclava or some netting to avoid the light reflecting off your skin. Although this is not much of an issue for this particular owl, other birds can see you a long way off without this cover.

So if the sun is shining this afternoon I'll be off there again in search of some better photos.