Long-eared Owls and Woodcock

 More about being there and listening to the mix of Nightjar, Little, Tawny and Long-eared Owls, roding Woodcock and barking Muntjac 

a sound recording is on my website here Long-eared Owl calls

Woodcock fight

three Woodcock came over in an aerial scrap but by the time I got them in the frame they had split into a two and one -- 1/15 second at 22:31 hrs

coastal failures

its been one of those autumns where everything I seem to see is fleeting or elusive or both - haven't taken a decent image for weeks - on paper days like yesterday look OK; Olive-backed Pipit seen well by two of the crew but for me just a calling fly over, Pallas's warbler seen for less than minute at dusk, Dusky Warbler one calling and a couple of days previous calling and brief flight view, Yellow-browed Warbler just a few seconds view, Firecrest looking up into the canopy, Siberian Chiffchaff wrong side of the river,  but the Redstart, tired Redwing and 5 Crossbills showed well and a Woodcock landed briefly in an awkward pose on the track -- luck must change soon and still finding nothing - that Bluetail must be just around the corner!  also a juvenile Peregrine from earlier in the week 

Woodcock in off

one on the long coastal walk on Saturday

roding Woodcock

all taken very late evening -- hardly any light but 5D4 works well in extremes producing images when normally you would get nothing; OK there is noise but at 12500 ISO you expect it

Nightjars, Woodcock and mosquitoes

a pleasant forest evening -- cannot work out what the Woodcock is carrying -- it was roding at the same time so presumably opening its bill with this thing in it? it has been the worst year I have known for Nightjars not just numbers but activity levels with so little churring  possibly as there are fewer males to dispute territories

Woodcock fly by

while watching the waxwings this Woodcock suddenly appeared out of the houses -- three quick blasts and one okish

Woodcock

incoming

roding Woodcock

some record shots - the difference between 10000ISO on the Mark 4 (lower) and flash --