Photography

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@Bigsidavies. One for you, I remember you like your owls!

This is straight off my Pixel phone. I was about 4 feet away from it.
Spectacular pic. LEO? Ours have disappeared from the local copse.
Was talking to a local birder I know today up on the moors and he was saying he’s not heard of any Short Eared Owls coming back locally yet. We normally have a few pairs nesting on the moors up the road.
Did see a little owl sat on a wall today while I was out on the mtb.
That’s a great spot. Keep it under your hat and keep revisiting see if there’s a pair and you might get the fluffy chicks.
Thanks for sharing.
 
Yes. LEO. There are two as I've seen both of them simultaneously roosting in neighbouring trees during the day and then hunting a 300+ strong sparrow roost at night. Don't worry, the location is highly confidential and off the beaten track.
 
I'm a shandy lout at best sadly so I miss out on all that manly beer appreciation, saying that we're down at Matlock Bath today and I reckon with the scenery and all the motorbikes about this could be a beery destination in summer.
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Matlock Bath is indeed very popular not only with bikers but classic cars, families, busy isnt the word, traffic jams can and sometimes are up to an hour.

The sad reality is that some (not all) of the bikers show off and tragically, deaths frequent. I grew up about four miles away and sirens on sunday afternoon was typical.
 
Fair few bikes there today but mostly in their drab Winter plumage although some early arrivals managed the exhausting bellow and pops of the mating call as they looked for a suitable pairing... no flashing blue lights today to indicate a successful outcome.
 
Is that in this country as I've only ever seen Barn Owls in the wild, my mate back in the early 90s had a Bengal and European Eagle owls plus three Harris Hawks, I think it was the Bengal that had bright orange eyes.
Anyway at Frosty Towers today the themes are Bug Jam and Oregon Grapes...
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@Stay Frosty yeah that's in West Yorkshire near Holmfirth. We had a nesting pair last year and three chicks so fingers crossed for this year.
We also get Short Eared Owls on the moors at the top of my road - usually arrive back around about now to nest.
Saw 4 little owls on today's walk too.
We have several barn owl nesting boxes in the same area too but a bit early in the day for them to be out hunting.
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@Bigsidavies Just a lottle bit jealous, we're pretty well urban here sadly and while there is countryside nearbu it's crows, wood pigeons and pheasants so a bit barren, saying that we do get non native Muntjac deer thanks to local pockets of woodland and a large allotments opposite.
Get shed loads of Red Kite too, way more than Buzzards and also a fairly regular Peregrine squawking at the crows that I think is from the pair at the top of the Express Lifts tower in town.
 
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