"Many Apologies"

Seem's like a life time but I once said "I will try and keep this Blog up to date"! A lot has been happening in the last few months and I can only apologise for the lack of post's.

Those that are close to me and my family will understand, there are still a few loose ends to sort out and they WILL get sorted but that is another story.

Anyway I have not been concentrating on much just lately but I am hopefully going to get back on track very sooner are a few images that I have taken over the last three months or so.

Thanks for looking

Little Owl

Ask any wildlife photographer if they would like to photograph a Little Owl and the answer would probably be "yes".

I have over the years photographed a fair few but I have always had a particular shot in mind and this year it started to come together as the farmer I know rotated his crop production and the field was set with 'Rape seed oil'.

Now everybody and their father knows that when 'Rape' flowers it is a mass of yellow every other field looks as though it is carpeted in some kind of exotic yellow flower!

About four months ago I started to put my plan in action and feeding a particular spot with the odd mealworm (or two) just to keep the Owls interested. I then added a couple of perches near to a large branch that had fallen during one windy night of which the  Owl's used on a regular basis as a look out perch.

After a while I introduced my dome hide which on this occasion I know will be safe and it has been left in situ.

Did it work .....you may ask yourselves.... well lets see!!!!!

At first they would stay a distance away.

As time went by they used perches they had used for a while.

Then after a while the male would come onto one of the perches I had put into place.

Then the shot I was after,  I would have preferred the whole of the background yellow but my aim was to get the yellow of the iris into the background.

Now all you have to do is ask yourself "am I looking at the birds eye or am I looking at the background"????

Will leave that one with you!!!!!

Thanks for looking

Otters

I had always wanted to go to the Isle of Mull in Winter to photograph the Otters but in the back of my mind there was always the doubts of shorter days, the weather will the ferries be running. Luckily for us none of this became a problem yes we had a mixture of weather but for the main it was sunny, dry albeit a little windy and the Otters were about, although not playing for the camera all the time.

We stayed for a week this time usually it would be for a fortnight as I have always said "a week is too short a time on this fantastic island".

Sightings of Otters was good a total of 32 sightings from 13 individuals over the week long period and this was one of the  best weeks I have had for them on Mull.

We met some very like minded people and again it was very nice to be able to share our finds and help other people out, some getting their first close encounters with the Otters.

You could very easily drive past and not see them as they were camouflaged against the sea weed!

Even when you knew that you were looking in an Otters territory they always seemed to do the opposite to what you would think! Most of the time finding them away from the shore feeding was just the start!

People will tell you that the best time to see an Otter is on a 'turning tide', partly true; but in the week we were there we saw Otters at all times of the day irrespective of what the tide was doing, perhaps it is better to visit when the days are shorter!!

We watched Otters every time they dived they caught something, we also saw mothers feeding their cub(s) but one thing for certain all that energy used there was always time for a quick nap!

A great week had with great company

Thanks for looking!

Derbyshire Dippers

We are lucky in the fact that in Derbyshire we have our fair share of streams/rivers that are doing very well for Dippers.

One or two of the more common known spots do tend to get heavily used by photographers and have caused problems for the birds themselves.

I fortunately have found a few areas out of the reach of 'joe public' lets say by meeting up and getting on with a Head River Keeper, who has helped me along the way so that I can observe and photograph the birds without causing any problems. This has taken a lot longer and will continue to do so, as they say "a little at a time"!

So here are a few shots to be getting along with and we will see how we get on throughout the year.

Thanks for looking

Harvest Mice workshops

I am now taking bookings for the Harvest Mice Workshops if interested please email me on

alan.heeley1@btinternet.com

 

Thanks for looking

New Year 'Hares'

Not really as it was the second day of the New Year. Decided that a trip onto the high tops of the Derbyshire moorlands was called for, and with two good friends in tow off we set.

As an added bonus a fresh few inches of snow had fallen on the very highest parts of the moors making a bigger challenge in picking out the Mountain Hares than it would have been, but once you had got your eye in we all started to find them.

Days up here with the Hares are never the same but within say 30 minutes you can usually judge what the Hares are going to be like and today was no exception, today we just could not get near,150 metres and they were off!!

We carried on regardless because we just knew that there would be the one that would sit, and with the right fieldcraft would allow us to get into position and get some shots.

Two hours in and I struck lucky this certain Hare was tucked up and I only caught it out of the corner of my eye but for twenty minutes we managed to get some rather decent shots.

We came away that day rather tired and exhausted but pleased with the results. Two days later and we decided to go up again and what a difference the snow had ALL gone and the Hares stuck out like sore thumbs!

This was one of around twenty plus individuals that we saw.

Thanks for looking.