WHAT'S BUZZING OR FLYING NEAR YOU 2018

Thanks
@mazambo, just a canon sx60 bridge camera.

 

A couple of Barn Owls are now hunting in the young woodland where we take Dog for an early run before breakfast. They're still about for 30 mins or so after we turn up around sunrise.

They've only been around for a short time, which I reckon is due to us telling those responsible for maintaining mowing the area that they were destroying hundreds of Skylark nests. Now the grass has been left alone since Spring there must be sufficient voles amongst it to attract Barn Owls.

One is smaller, easier to approach (juvenile?) and doesn't travel as far afield as the larger, more cautious owl. Only seen 2 simultaneosly, but hoping there's more of them and will now try and get there earlier, taking a camera every time until I manage to get a shot.

 

Difficult to get a decent shot as this bird was very mobile, a Lesser Yellowlegs at Lodmoor RSPB in Weymouth, blown over from Canada in the storms while trying to migrate to Florida or S America.
About half a dozen end up here annually and some over winter.






Also a winter plumage male Ruff, normally brown but this is an unusual almost white bird. Maybe on it's way to Africa but could stay for the winter.

 

Spotted this Grey Heron high up in a Scots Pine when we visited the Dunster Castle estate whilst on holiday last week and as it was so high up I struggled to get a decent shot of it at times.When it turned its back on us I knew it was getting ready to take off.I am quiet chuffed with these photos as usually the herons are too far away for me to get a decent shot with my little Lumix camera

Glad I wasn’t born a fish as I wouldn’t fancy being stabbed with that beak

 

Not as pretty as everyone elses pics but i spotted these flying off on my fence this evening, termite swarmers maybe?

 

Young Buzzard.

 

No Barn Owls at the wood this morning, but there was a Kestrel eating a vole for an early dawn breakfast

 

Nice bird @Sheal. I haven't seen a Song Thrush for a couple of months now.

I went to Lodmoor RSPB reserve in Weymouth again this afternoon although the Lesser Yellowlegs wasn't showing itself, the Great White Egret was and the (white) Ruff was fairly close. I did get a couple of record shots of the visiting Grey Phalarope.




Little Egret, half the size of it's big brother.


Ruff.


Grey Phalarope, a very small sea bird on it's way to West Africa and possibly Argentina (!) for the winter. A fantastic journey for such a small bird, smaller than a Collared Dove.




Black Tailed Godwit, hundreds are arriving here and particularly in Poole harbour (500 already).

 

Thanks @strongylodon. I don't often see them here but a large group, more than a dozen settled on a wild rose in the field at the back of my place. Would they have been taking the hips do you think?

I back tracked through this thread yesterday and there's certainly some great shots, yours and others. Well done everyone!

 

The Blue Tits did a fine job rearing their family after a late start.



I removed the nest in August with one egg remaining, about the size of my little fingernail.

 

Been stalking Barn Owls around dawn again. Saw one head towards the deer fence around the young wood so went between the head height trees until I thought I was close, but it had moved along the fence line, so back amongst the trees until I saw it in the distance, just one shot and it was off again.

Uncropped taken with 840mm FFE telephoto (and it was probably watching me the entire time I was creeping through the bushes).