I'm probably overdoing the barn owl watching, but it's not too far from home and having the 24/7 pass makes it an easy slot in my busy diary, let alone one of the better times to be watching out for barn owls.
My last posting regarding the barn owl was: "Brandon Marsh and perseverance...."
So a quick show of the photos to bring you up to speed.
All good days start with a colourful sunrise....
A barn owl after telling some stock doves were to go, at 08:25 in a morning, when it was probably trying to get some sleep in....
The interesting thing is, the stock doves have been keeping their distance, though, they are slowly getting a bit more brave.....
The long tailed tits devouring a fat ball, or two....
Mr Reed Bunting, watching me, watching him, watching me watching him....
A great tit....
More lollipops....
This one taking a drink from the small pond by the cafe window
Wednesday 1st February
Early morning reflections
A barn owl flying back to the nest box after a hunt, probably successful, after watching numerous attempts through the binoculars, albeit it too dark and distant to take any photos, so the return to the nest box, which was before sunrise, will have to suffice....
On the lookout....
A silhouetted mute swan...
A blackbird taking a bath in the small pond by cafe window...
Thursday 2nd February
A barn owl returning after an hunt for food
I know many birders use clamped optic stands, but for the previous and next photos, I used my Joby Gorillapod 5K Kit to obtain a steady image suitable for cropping.
Friday 3rd February
No barn owl this morning....
Great White Egret
That's it for now, various visits regarding my leg are taking precedence for the time being, but I'll be back.
I hope you enjoyed the photos as much as I enjoyed being there, if not, my apologies.
Mike
Flickr Peak Rambler
In reply to PimperneBloke:
PimperneBloke said:Lovely selection Mike... I think you should invest in the infra red thermal imaging memory cards, so you can get Barnie properly in flight, in the dark :o)
Wouldn't it be fabulous, thermal imaging memory cards, no bulk to carry around....
Seriously, I do have night vision binoculars, though they do have their limitations, particularly as they are budget priced. They were bought to get a grasp on night vision, and being totally honest, they do a very good job upto 100mtrs. After that, it you've experienced digital zoom photography at its worst, pushed beyond its limits, that's what happens.
I find with mine, because NV binocs are an electronic device, not optical, just as with mirrorless cameras, autofocus is not a feature. From the very little I understand, though it makes sense, AF will not work at such low light levels, something most of us appreciate with normal photography, and rarely push the boundaries that far. So they are manual focus only.
If you've ever watched Winterwatch and associated programs where they use NV and thermal, look closely and you can see even they kit they use has great limitations, so my budget ones are probably the best I can seriously justify.
I want to experiment more but there's a big cost and an almost 200 mile round trip to the nearest emporium.....
For now, my budget pair of NV binocs are great for the garden and not too distanced stuff, and I'm not parting with them any time soon.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.