{"id":1349,"date":"2009-03-28T22:03:54","date_gmt":"2009-03-28T22:03:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.permuted.org.uk\/photography\/archives\/1349"},"modified":"2013-11-14T23:59:16","modified_gmt":"2013-11-14T23:59:16","slug":"a-first-sighting-of-major-proportions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.permuted.org.uk\/photography\/a-first-sighting-of-major-proportions\/","title":{"rendered":"A first sighting of major proportions"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

Once in a while nature really does spring surprises. This afternoon I was on my way back from the local recycling centre (green waste from the garden). The sky was dark overhead, and there were sharp showers in the air. I stopped off at the local site where I go to photograph kestrels, and sat in the car while the rain passed over.<\/p>\n

It was cold and windy, and there was little to see. I started heading over to where the kestrels are sometimes perching. I took a few shots of a skylark overhead. I was heading across to a small thicket when a dog walker called over and asked if I'd seen anything interesting. I hadn't, but he then asked if I'd seen the owls. Owls? No, never here. In fact, never anywhere in the wild. Ever. He went on to say that there were a pair that were sometimes seen here (I've been visiting the site for a couple of years or so, and I've neither seen owls nor heard anyone mention them). Intriguing. We parted company, and he went off with his dogs. I started the search for kestrels. <\/p>\n

A minute or so later I saw him signalling to me. I headed over, and he pointed into the far distance. Sure enough a large bird was making long low circles at the top of the valley. Even with the 400mm lens, this is all I could see.<\/p>\n

\"short-earedUncropped<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

At that distance I certainly couldn't identify it. The colouring looked a bit like a buzzard, but the behaviour was wrong. I watched as it started to widen its circle, slowly heading towards us.<\/p>\n

\"short-earedCropped<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"short-earedCropped<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"short-earedCropped<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Keeping track as it crossed the grass wasn't easy, and I was too intent on tracking it to keep a close eye on the camera settings. Fortunately the light was good and as it came in closer I could see that it was indeed an owl :faint:<\/p>\n

\"short-earedCropped<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

On checking further when I got home, I can confirm the identification as a short-eared owl. They are more commonly seen in the north of England, but do over-winter in the south. They are unusual among owls in hunting in daylight, but for all that they are relatively rarely seen. <\/p>\n

I did manage one shot of a kestrel, but today belongs to the owl. No doubts at all. The full sequence<\/a> is over on my other site.<\/p>\n

Sometime the unexpected is truly unexpected! And thank you to the dog walker (if you ever find this blog). A really great 'spot'!
\"Nature<\/a><\/span>
Camera note: all shots taken with the EF 100-400mm f\/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[990],"tags":[526],"class_list":["post-1349","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bird-of-prey","tag-owl","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t