A good week for filming

A good weeks weather and a hectic time with two ascents of Pendle Hill inside fourteen hours! On one morning I was at the Trig station on top of Pendle at 6.00am and filmed the sunrise on the way up. It was well worth it with a dozen Northern Golden Plover on the summit but more especially three Dotterel. A magical two hours was spent filming these most evocative of wading birds.

Most of the Peregrines in the hills are now awaiting their eggs hatching and numbers are still at an all time high with pairs nesting again in Manchester and also Bolton

After months of searching the moorland forests for Long Eared Owls I had a fantastic encounter during the week by finding one roosting bird completely in the open. Some good film was taken as it elongated its body to look more like a vertical pine branch.

An afternoon was spent filming Herons in the final stages of fledging their young. I find it is always a sad event because of the high mortality of the young in the last few days before flying. Many get blown into the trees and are unable to close their wings, some break a wing and fall to the ground where they will end up easy prey for the local foxes.

Next reports will be from my favourite place of all, the island of Islay – can’t wait!