Shorteared Owls are Back!!
Posted: 8th Nov 2012
I've been working through my job list at a nice leisurely pace which makes a change for me, and enjoying these crisp winter mornings and lovely warm sunshine days if you're wrapped up and stay out of the wind!!! I even saw a couple of Dragonfly's over the big lake yesterday which is a first for this time of the year. The fish on the large lake are quite active with lots of shows over in the far bay, but the 7 acre lake is quiet after the doors have closed, no doubt they are not sure why no one is casting a lead at them!!
I have started to drop the lake level by only 12" to get to the branches in the tree facing peg 3 that have caused a few problems this year. I will cut them all out to make sure the space underneath all the trees and bushes are snag free for next season. I will take a few pictures next week of the work in progress, no doubt I will be over the top of my waders in the first hour which is about the "norm" for me.
Lots of wildlife around at the moment including a lovely encounter this morning with a pair of kingfishers no more than 10 yards infront of me, bobbing and tweeting away while I stopped on the quad to watch them. They both then set off like jet fighter planes across the lake and perched on the predator lines rocking backwards and fowards like a tight rope walker, before setting off again, magic!
There are two Great White Egrets working the lake margins each day, and close up are a massive bird around the size of a Heron. The Shorteared owls did come back to the same Willow trees next to the lake, but this time 3 of them were roosting!!! I'm going to attempt to get a picture of them, dont think it will be great but I will give it ago.
Will get busy with the camera so I can give you a visual update and anything else of interest I will post, might even get the rod out for some of the wildy Commons running up the stream at the moment. These are true old monk fish and run into double figures and are as dark as night in colour, it's just good fun to hook one on float gear fishing sweetcorn and having to hook & hold without them pulling the rod out of your hands.
I have 3 different pieces of artwork on the go at the moment, 2 are the final works for the clothing range and the third is a Perch study which should be finished for the end of the week, this piece will be available to purchase before Christmas and will be mounted before sale.
That's all folks, back soon with hopefully a few nice camera shots??
Team Sanctuary