Sleeper

Heres one we found today beside the old waggon-way at Bearpark Colliery

nice to see one without a mass of  twigs & branches covering its face

side view of same bird from further along track, showing relaxed dumpy profile - no glaring Orange eye-balls nor Red-hot pokers up the backside here thank you very much.

We managed these pics & left it in peace.

At the end of the day i arranged to meet up with AK to have a look at a Durham City Barn Owl
sadly no show here, although the day ended with a couple more owls, when the Fog-blogger was quick to spot a bit of owl-porn with a pair of treetop Littles on the job !

A Little Lovin'

A class, flat calm, mild, sunny Durham day

Got finished quick sharp

& off to a country lane hoping for any one of the 5....

Little Owl straight off - within moments the male flew over calling in flight & his mate flew down to join him...

and within seconds he was on the job...

and just before the dismount :-

shortly 2 more watched calling from this same spot

a big bright moon this evening

Little bit of what you fancy

Temperature up to a balmy 7 degrees - felt like a Spring evening as the light went tonight.

The coveys of Greys, so prominant during 5 weeks of snow, now split into noisy territorial pairs dashing all over.

Little Owl activity building as the afternoon wore in, with much calling from multiple birds at dusk



kissy kissy

  - this culminated in a pair "getting jiggy" on a fence post 

the action shot - possibly the worst owl photo ever....

i suppose this is to do with strengthening the pair bond rather than a breeding attempt......


Here a Little Owl in a local working quarry

LO enjoying the sun on a Limestone face

Evidence beneath a rather open Long-eared Owl roost

Leo pellets beneath recently evacuated roost, boot toe cap for scale.



 

for a pair of orange eyes that were waiting for me

Long-eared eyes

Doesnt show up too well, but this was all i could see of him