2021......a Tortoise in lockdown hibernation?

[Galana]

15 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

suitable for a ceiling mural somewhere in Italy!!

I think I saw one similar in a Church in Tuscany.

Actually I quite like it.

[PeterHG]

Great work on the Cuckoo!

 

[Dave Williams]

A couple from Friday evening.

85) Barn Swallow

Barn Swallow by Dave Williams, on Flickr

86) Common Swift

Common Swift by Dave Williams, on Flickr

 

Claire had sent me a text whilst I was down taking the shots at our local RSPB to tell me there was a Tawny Owl sat in a tree near the house. It would have taken far too long to get home so I didn't bother thinking it would have flown but no, it stayed for 2.5 hours in the same spot!!

Tawny Owl by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Galana]

Nice action from the Swallows and Swift and inaction from the Tawny.

I hope this means they have forgiven your neighbour and returned for good. I have never seen one in daylight ever. They really are bonny.

[Soukous]

9 hours ago, Galana said:

Nice action from the Swallows and Swift and inaction from the Tawny.

I hope this means they have forgiven your neighbour and returned for good. I have never seen one in daylight ever. They really are bonny.

 

agree on all counts

[Dave Williams]

It's an horrible day here today. High winds, pouring rain and pretty cold to boot.Time to dig out some previously unloaded shots and give the rabbit something to chase in the next day or two..

87)Sand Martin

Sand Martin by Dave Williams, on Flickr

88)Sedge Warbler

Sedge Warbler by Dave Williams, on Flickr

89)Reed Warbler

Reed Warbler by Dave Williams, on Flickr

90)Skylark

Skylark by Dave Williams, on Flickr

91) Coot

Coot by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Kitsafari]

wow on the tawny owl! 

[Galana]

49 minutes ago, Dave Williams said:

It's an horrible day here today.

Same here. Nice Coot.

[PeterHG]

Great work on the flight shots of Swallows, Swifts and Skylark! And I agree: amazing Tawny Owl photo.

[michael-ibk]

Love the Tawny - I have never seen one. Getting close to 100 now!

[xelas]

Dave, you should leave the Tawny to be your #100! A really special photo.

[TonyQ]

Agreed, a special Tawny Owl!

[Zim Girl]

Gorgeous Tawny picture.

[Peter Connan]

Beautiful tawny owl and great in-flight swallows!

[Dave Williams]

The weather has been horrendous and I have barely left the house in 48 hours but the howling wind dropped and the sun came out for an hour late this afternoon so we grabbed the opportunity of some fresh air with a walk on the promenade.

I took my camera hoping for the regularly seen Rock Pipit but instead came back with 92)Ringed Plover

Ringed Plover by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

Two 93) Eurasian Dotterel arrived yesterday on the Great Orme local headland on their way through to their breeding ground.They are one of the most confiding birds you can hope to find.

Eurasian Dotterel by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Galana]

Dotterell . Now that I would get out of bed for. And I might just have a close look around for one tomorrow.

[PeterHG]

Excellent photo of this beautiful bird! 

[Dave Williams]

The Dotterel is indeed a stunning looking bird and one of the rare species where the female is more attractive than the male because the male does the incubation duties and needs to be camouflaged. I have to say I have become a bit complacent. We usually have Dotterel stay locally for a few days every year. Same place exactly. I didn't even bother going to look last year and it was only for a BY image I went yesterday. People travel long distances in the hope of seeing one, one chap had left home at 3.00am and faced a couple of hundred mile drive for the opportunity. Many are not in a position to do so. 

Just shows, the grass is always greener on the other side or so it might seem, but never take things for granted.

[Galana]

Only ever seen one once on the Island (and nobody believed me until one of the cognoscenti saw another.)

Send a few over. Will trade for a Merlin.

[elefromoz]

love the artsy Cuckoo shot, of course they're all great. You're really motoring along now, although I am kinda missing your MO of the first couple of months, nothing like a dodgy phone photo to make the rest of us happy snappers feel better. Yes, I imagine a Goat could do some real damage in the garden.  Does the fox not eat the Rats? Or the Buzzard(s)? 

[Dave Williams]

8 hours ago, elefromoz said:

love the artsy Cuckoo shot, of course they're all great. You're really motoring along now, although I am kinda missing your MO of the first couple of months, nothing like a dodgy phone photo to make the rest of us happy snappers feel better. Yes, I imagine a Goat could do some real damage in the garden.  Does the fox not eat the Rats? Or the Buzzard(s)? 

I miss the pace of life too believe it or not. Life was simple when you couldn't go anywhere, now I have no time at all to spare or so it seems. Trying to catch everything in what is a limited window.

The Goats haven't been seen in the garden in over a week now which is good news. The Rat continues to plague us! I'm afraid after being outwitted with 3 other attempts of nailing it I have now resorted to poison which is something I wanted to avoid. The risk is that the rat dies and something eats it but I have to take a chance on that.When the rat starts looking in through your glass door enough is enough! We daren't leave them open now and the poor birds haven't been fed in a week....and it's cold and food is still hard to find.

 

[Dave Williams]

My attempt at adding Lesser Whitethroat was thwarted. They show briefly at distance and then disappear but taunt with their singing....as does the Cetti's.

This afternoon I had pre-booked tickets to our local National Trust garden which is getting to be in it's very floral best at the moment. I took the camera along in case I saw something and to my delight I did!

94) Common kingfisher

 Common Kingfisher by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Galana]

The best of all surprises. Nice capture.

 

Rats. Employ everything in your arsenal up to and including Thermo Nuclear warfare.

A cautionary Rat's tail.

We used to own a steel Narrowboat not many miles from where you live. One evening we were disturbed by scratching sounds as we lay in bed and we noticed that the rims of the nice round 'fingerholes' I had cut in cupboard doors had been neatly chamferred from the outside by two parallel gouges resembling teeth marks as something had tried in vain to gain entry to the food stored within. We tried most humane methods to persuade our unwanted guest to leave with out success. Scorched earth had nothing on us.  Each night we heard him come and go in the insulated void between the hull and cabin lining. It STOLE breakback traps. It ATE my wife's collection of Corn Dollies.

One day I almost accused my dear cabin boy of not cleaning out our Fridge after spilling milk as there was 'white powdery stuff' on the lower shelf.Then I notice the HOLE in the rear of the fridge carcass as though fired from an Exocet missile. Aha! Remove shelves. Bait with Mackerel paste (The gourmet ba$tard did not care for cheese.)

Place massive Breakback on lower shelf so he could not get back to the hole. Retire to bed. As we snoozed I heard him set off on his rounds and in the wee sma' hours I heard a welcome SNAP! Cabin Boy woke with a start. "Wassat?" Nothing dear.

Next morning armed with heavy metal bar in case of trouble I eased the fridge door open but it was OK. There he was. An EX Rat. Dear wife demanded to see the prize and blow me actually commented on 'his good condition'. He had (yes it was a he, that was the first thing I looked for, ) eaten our finest produce. No way he was malnourished. And best of all he was very dead, albeit with a smile on his face. Ratty was no more.

Kill it Dave. Anyway you can. Borrow  a friend's Jack Russell or King Cobra, but kill it.

[Dave Williams]

43 minutes ago, Galana said:

The best of all surprises. Nice capture.

 

Rats. Employ everything in your arsenal up to and including Thermo Nuclear warfare.

A cautionary Rat's tail.

We used to own a steel Narrowboat not many miles from where you live. One evening we were disturbed by scratching sounds as we lay in bed and we noticed that the rims of the nice round 'fingerholes' I had cut in cupboard doors had been neatly chamferred from the outside by two parallel gouges resembling teeth marks as something had tried in vain to gain entry to the food stored within. We tried most humane methods to persuade our unwanted guest to leave with out success. Scorched earth had nothing on us.  Each night we heard him come and go in the insulated void between the hull and cabin lining. It STOLE breakback traps. It ATE my wife's collection of Corn Dollies.

One day I almost accused my dear cabin boy of not cleaning out our Fridge after spilling milk as there was 'white powdery stuff' on the lower shelf.Then I notice the HOLE in the rear of the fridge carcass as though fired from an Exocet missile. Aha! Remove shelves. Bait with Mackerel paste (The gourmet ba$tard did not care for cheese.)

Place massive Breakback on lower shelf so he could not get back to the hole. Retire to bed. As we snoozed I heard him set off on his rounds and in the wee sma' hours I heard a welcome SNAP! Cabin Boy woke with a start. "Wassat?" Nothing dear.

Next morning armed with heavy metal bar in case of trouble I eased the fridge door open but it was OK. There he was. An EX Rat. Dear wife demanded to see the prize and blow me actually commented on 'his good condition'. He had (yes it was a he, that was the first thing I looked for, ) eaten our finest produce. No way he was malnourished. And best of all he was very dead, albeit with a smile on his face. Ratty was no more.

Kill it Dave. Anyway you can. Borrow  a friend's Jack Russell or King Cobra, but kill it.

I'm trying to outwit the b****** Fred, honestly!