Blog Action Day

Phobias, they don't just occur with people

A rather interesting story on the BBC website about an Arctic hooded seal which seems to dislike the cold environment. The seal swam from the arctic waters to the Canaries (over 1,000 miles) to be in a warmer environment. The seal named Sahara was taken to Cornwall Seal Sanctuary where it's facing its phobia and is now on the mend to recovery to living its life in the cold. To read more visit the BBC link here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cornwall/7581098.stm

Little Owl

As you have probably gathered by the title this entry does involve a Little Owl. A couple of days back I tried again to see the Barn Owl at my local bird club. I arrived a little early so I went back to the tree where the Little Owls had been seen, again I managed to see them, yet this time I managed to get photographs which was excellent.

Little Owl:


After photographing the Little Owls I went to the hide. On the last blog entry I enclosed a photograph of a Moorhen on a nest, I went back to the exact same sight and again I saw the Moorhen on the nest, yet the nest had grown almost double the size since I last looked. I was amazed at how much the nest had grown in the space of a week.

Moorhen on nest:


I stopped off again to try and see the Barn Owl but I failed this time, yet I did hear a Tawny Owl.
Overall a fantastic day especially having the opportunity to photograph the Little Owl.

Two owls in a day

Yesterday afternoon I went to my local bird club for a couple of hours. A family of moorhen consisting of one adult and 4 young provided great entertainment for me. Here are the photographs of them. I also saw a Common Sandpiper and a Little Egret.

Moorhen feeding young:



Moorhen chick:


On the way back home down the lane from the bird club, I visited a site where a family of Little Owls had been seen, I could hear them calling to begin with and then finally I saw one, that was great as I had only ever seen a Little Owl once before.

That evening I went back to my local bird club in the hope to see a family of Barn Owls. I went to the hide to begin with where I saw a Green Sandpiper and a Moorhen on a nest. After taking the photographs I went off up the lane to see if I could see the Barn Owls, I met up with a couple of fellow bird watchers and we waited to see what we could see. Finally after about 15 minutes wait there it was, as soon as I had seen it, it was gone.

Moorhen on nest (different family from earlier on today):


What a great day I had, I'd seen a Barn Owl and a Little Owl, two Owls in a day, it isn't very often that happens is it?

Rutland Water insects

On Thursday I went to Rutland Water for the day. I was lucky enough to see the Osprey parents, not the young though as this pair of Ospreys have failed to raise young this year the reasons are unknown, there are a couple of possibilities but there is no real explanation for it at the moment, the wardens and rangers have to wait until the Ospreys have all migrated until they can check out the nest site.

Soldier Beetle:

Skipper:

Common Blue Damselfly:

Hover Fly:

Little Egret:

Green Sandpipers:

Grey Heron: