This Weekend

I’ve not had very much chance to get out with the camera of late, and this weekend wasn’t much better either! With the dull weather I decided to do some work in the garden, and as I was sowing some seeds all the Woodpigeons in the hedgerow scattered, and the small birds dived for cover. A Sparrowhawk twisted through the air after the birds and I smiled to myself – it’s always a treat to get a glimpse of a top predator. To my surprise, the next time I glanced up, she (I think?) was perched on the garage roof! I quietly grabbed the camera, and carefully went outside.

 

Then, to my delight, she flew straight towards me, swooping above my head as I stood by the back door. Tentatively I looked up around the gutter, and there she was perched on the roof! I thought she’d probably fly off when she noticed me, so I carefully framed up and took a couple of photos, but she didn’t care about me at all, barely glancing down. To her I was totally insignificant.

 

She surveyed her territory for a while, and then quietly dived from the roof and soared away over the village, a chorus of alarm calls following her.

Not bad for a dull and damp day!

 

Similar Posts

  • Star Trails and Lizard Tails

    Breckland. At first glance, arid and inhospitable, with hot, dry sandy soil and prickly gorse, but look closer, and you’ll find that one of the driest areas in England is in fact, teeming with life. Tiny specialised plants creep aross the dusty ground, while twisted, spiny gorse shelters nesting birds. The sharpness of the landscape…

  • A Winter Visitor

    Fieldfares are another one of my favourite birds. These gorgeous winter visitors come here from Scandinavia, presumably to escape the harsh winter weather. They flock together, feeding on windfall apples in the old orchard, conversing noisily with scolding chattering calls, unmistakeable with their beautiful slaty blue grey head, brown back, and cream speckled chest. This…

  • Red Mason Bees

    I’ve been trying to photograph the Red mason bees again, these wild bees have been using my solitary bee boxes over the last few weeks and they are fascinating to watch. I’ve had the odd bee using the bee boxes in the past, but this year they seem to be doing really well, and on…

  • Bushy Park, London

    A squadron of green arrows cuts through the blue of the sky, noisy screeches rain down from these lime feathered parakeets. It seems so exotic, and we gawp in touristy awe, but there’s a delight in seeing a parrot fly free when previously I’ve only ever seen them caged. No, I’m not on a foreign…

  • Small Copper

    Went out this weekend to a patch of heathland try and photograph these little beauties. The overcast weather seemed to make them not very obliging and it was difficult to get very close, so I opted for some ‘in habitat’ style shots, which I quite like. Not bad for a first go with these tiny…

  • 2026 Calendar

    Exciting news! A friend of mine encouraged me to get a calendar printed, so I did just that! Featuring my favourite images from recent projects, and printed on high quality recycled silk paper, I’m really pleased with how they came out. I only have a few available, so be quick if you’d like one! Available…

One Comment

  1. Dawn, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed looking at your blog. The stories you tell of your time in Norfolk yearn me to return. I live in the East Midlands and manage to get to Norfolk at least once a year but not often enough. Norfolk is one of those places that draws you back and I love it especially for its opportunities for photographing the wildlife that thrives there. Wildlife had a special place in my heart and I truely believe that if everyone were to be aware of the difficulties it faces and the changes that can be made to reverse these threats we can succeed and make the world a better place.

Leave a Reply