R-b F & Kestrel

While I was at Seaton Common on Wednesday, I had a look for the Red-breasted Flycatcher at the end of the Zinc Works Road. It showed briefly but was always partially hidden by leaves and twigs. Just before I got these images of a Kestrel my camera and long lens had a bit of an accident. I was about to drive to the lay-by at the end of the Zinc Works Road and had put all my gear into the car when two Short-eared Owls decided to put on a display. I got the camera and tri-pod back out of the car I put the camera and long lens onto the tri-pod and started to carry them to where the owls were. Unfortunately, I had not tightened the lens onto the gimbal head and when I lifted it, the camera and lens fell around five feet to the ground. My heart sank; I thought this is going to cost me but to my delight when I got the camera back onto the tri-pod it was fine there is only one small scratch on the battery pack.

Red-breasted Flycatcher

Kestrel

 

Seaton Common

Here are a few images of a Short-eared Owl from Seaton Common on Tuesday. There were three Owls seen however, this one put on the best display (at least I think it’s the same one). 

Lettoch Beag

Lettoch Beag is the cottage we stay when we go to Scotland and it is a great place to watch for Buzzards, I can stand for hours just waiting for them to fly over. This year a number of different Buzzards put on a great show.



One of the first pictures I took when we arrived at the cottage was of what I at first thought was a Buzzard it turned out, when I got it on the computer, to be a record shot of a distant Golden Eagle (please correct me if I am wrong).

Buzzard

Doing what Buzzards do but while in flight

A very distant Kestrel

Doing what Kestrels do while perched (not as sharp as I would have liked but it’s not often you get shots like this)

What a difference a blue sky makes as you can see from this shot of a Kestrel possibly the same one as in my last Blog.