A Gallery & Notes.

Common Blue. Warren Baker.

First picture in the gallery is a smart one of the Common Blue butterfly in flight. I personally find this photograph quite clever and not a subject to succeed with very easily but Warren has handled this one in true photographic style. Thanks for this Warren.

Barn Owl. Phil Slade.

Well we've had one or two Barn Owl pics on Birds2blog before but the truth is you can't see too many of this enigmatic bird and we'll sure be having more. This bird eventually took as prey what looked like a Rat in Phil's set of photographs of the bird on his website and a good meal for its awaiting young. Thanks for this one Phil.

Anna's Hummingbird. David Baker. BC Canada.

Well I don't know about you but this one - a female Anna's Hummingbird - I'm not likely to ever see and was taken at Crescent Beach in British Columbia, Canada. I know you look in on Birds2blog David and I've been in touch with Paul recently via e-mail to thank you both for allowing me to post your images on my blog.

Marsh Harrier. Peter Guy.

And finally, a superb photograph of three Marsh Harrier chicks taken under license by Peter Guy. This photograph is not only amazing for its subject but also for the way these three have posed for the shot as if they had been told to stand up straight and in a line. The picture is also amazing in that it clearly illustrates a pecking order and you really have to wonder if the one in the centre actually survived after obviously being 'last in the queue'. Thanks for this Peter.

Notes.

It's not looking good again for my chances of birding this week with just four hours spare time tomorrow and no possibility of any on Tuesday or Wednesday. I've also not had any opportunity to do my July birding on Clougha/Birk Bank with time running out this week....so I may have to fight off some fits of withdrawal symptoms.

Please keep in touch with the 24 links in my sidebar to which I just added the North Lancashire Ringing Group website brought about mainly through my interest in the Sand Martins which in turn was brought about by the c.70 seen at Cockersands recently which I eventually realised was an indication of the start of the autumn migration season which I am reminded of by the sighting of at least 30 Swifts from my bedroom window as I write and is something I'll probably not be seeing many more times this year.

When the twilight is gone and no songbirds are singing....The first line of a poem 'The Prayer' by Roy Orbison....thanks PS!