Barn Owl Photos

I spent nearly three hours driving around the back roads of south-east Notts. and the Vale-of-Belvoir looking for Kestrels so that I could work on a few photographs which I hoped to take. Not a sign of any!! Plenty of Common Buzzards, a couple of Sparrowhawks and a single Red Kite, but what I used to feel was our most common diurnal raptor was completely absent.
However, a Barn Owl provided some compensation as it flew along a minor road near Aslockton before disappearing over a nearby farm.
So, out again tomorrow to look for the Kestrels.

Carrion Crows v Common Buzzards

Today was the first really warm and calm day of the last few weeks and the warm weather saw a big increase in Common Buzzards drifting overhead. There did not appear to be any obvious directional movement, it was more a case of lazily drifting about and calling, mixed with a bit of display behaviour. During a couple of hours at Langar in South Notts. this morning I recorded eight Common Buzzards with a party of four being the largest single group. Later, back at home, a group of three were calling and soaring  above the garden. Both of these groups attracted the attention of lone 'Top Gun' solo-fighter Carrion Crows which harassed the Buzzards and escorted them out of their air-space. Photographing the action proved a bit tricky as the focus seemed to lock onto the Buzzards but not the Crows, and as these were moving faster than the Buzzards all I managed was a series of slightly blurred Crows and decent(ish) Buzzards. Still you get the picture!

Common Buzzard and Carrion Crow Pulling Shapes.  Langar, Notts

Common Buzzard and Carrion Crow moving in to attack. Langar, Notts

Common Buzzard avoidance tactics.  Langar, Notts

Carrion Buzzard!!

Common Buzzard and Carrion Crow  Bingham, Notts

Common Buzzard and Carrion Crow out- maneuvered!, Bingham, Notts