Kingfisher

Last week I travelled up to Galloway to visit the Kingfisher hide belonging to Alan McFadyen, a superb facility where he has a reflection pool set up adjacent to the river, it was a real pleasure to watch and photograph this stunning female Kingfisher fishing in the pool.

Short Eared Owl

Every now and again there comes along a Wildlife encounter that will live long in my memory, and this is one that certainly will.
Last Friday I set out in the hope of photographing a Short Eared Owl that was hunting on coastal land not far from home, I would have been completely satisfied with some nice flight shots, what I didn't expect was to be sat 15 yards away from it perched up for over half an hour.
Almost immediately after arriving as I was still getting the camera ready, the Owl was out and hunting over the long grass, just out of range for quality images but still ok as I was still flapping about trying to get the tripod up etc.
It was quite a windy morning which was making it difficult for the bird and it perched on a post about 100 yards away. I made the decision to try and get a bit closer, and over the next 10 minutes I literally  crawled through the long grass, getting closer and closer, and by the time I was 20 yards away I was wet through but had a great view of it.
It was so relaxed in my presence, it was continually dozing off, but when it opened them big yellow eyes.....wow!!  Anyway I got the shots that I wanted and then spent a long time just admiring and enjoying this stunning bird in the time it afforded me before it was off into the distance.