Well, on a day like today it would be a shame not to...........

Myself and fellow "owler" a certain Mr Richard G Smith paid another visit to RGW east of Cardiff today in the best weather of the Christmas holiday and we were not disappointed with the display that the Shorties put on for us !!
We picked the right end of the hunting field and both came away with some images that we were really pleased with...............

Nice to chat with Rob Mitchell, Ray King, Jeff Lack and Bob Hopkins as we were packing our gear away and who had also taken up different vantage points around the field, hope they had the same luck as ourselves.

Grey Phalarope : Sker Pool

Having overdosed recently on Short-eared Owls and with a dry weather forecast for today I turned my attention to the Grey Phalarope found yesterday on Sker Pool.
After a fruitless morning walking up and back to the Bodvoc Stone on Mynydd Margam above Llangynwyd in the hope of connecting with the two Short-eared Owls found yesterday afternoon by Scott Squires (only because SEO would have been a "valley tick") I headed for Sker Pool south of Kenfig NNR hoping that the phalarope would still be there.
As the pool is quite small getting some nice images should not have been difficult, I parked up just off the main road near Pyle & Kenfig golf club and with my dog "Pearl" for company headed down the public footpath towards Sker House.
I had earlier spoken with Simon Murray who after originally posting that the bird had moved from the pool re-reported that it had come back and the first person I bumped into on arrival was Simon's dad Peter, also present were fellow "toggers" Jeff Lack and Bob Hopkins and also birder Rob Jones.
I settled in and proceeded to get some images that I was quite pleased with..........

Just as I was about to pack up and leave it was nice to bump into and chat with "Jake" Gilmore and Judd Hunt and we walked back part of the way together.

You can never have enough Short-eared Owls....

With two weeks off work and a rubbish weather forecast for the lead up to Christmas myself and fellow "togger" Richard Smith headed down to Rumney Great Wharf east of Cardiff again to catch up with the Shorties.
We arrived at 1.30pm to find Rob Mitchell already set up in his bag-hide with one bird already out hunting, we strung my newly purchased camo net to give us some cover and both of us managed to get some images that we were quite pleased with.........

Even more Short-eared Owls.........

With the hope of a first glimmer of sunshine on a weekend for about 6-7 weeks I headed down to Rumney Great Wharf east of Cardiff with the aim of getting some more images of Short-eared Owls in better light than I enjoyed on a dull overcast day during my last visit.
I rocked up at 1.00pm and one Shortie was already out hunting over the rough pasture fields, over the next two and a half hours at least three birds showed and despite a soaking from two heavy showers I managed a few shots that I was quite pleased with........

Hopefully with two weeks off over Christmas the weather will change and we'll get some proper winter weather with frost and blue skies, I can but live in hope.

More Short-eared Owls..........

After it finally stopped raining yesterday I made another visit to Rumney Great Wharf on the east side of Cardiff in the afternoon to photograph the wintering Short-eared Owls, I just can't get enough of these wonderful birds.

I set myself up with my bag-hide for cover and managed to get some okay flight shots albeit the light was absolutely dismal and I had to shoot at a stupidly high ISO all afternoon..........