Climbing up on Barn Owl Hill

Welcome wildlife lubbers to the sister blog to Travels with Pants... Wild with Pants (see the way we're keeping the Pants brand running here?)

So this is basically to post our walks and wildlife spots over the year.

On Monday we drove over the lane that takes us to the point on a half term walk where we spotted our first hen harrier (which then gave that walk the name Harrier Walk) On the lane further along from the walk bit we watched and photographed a barn owl hunting. So today, being our day off, we decided to walk up the lane from the other side and if we saw an owl again we decided the hill would earn the prestige of being named Barn Owl Hill.

Lo and behold despite the snow and the cold ... there she were- hunting low over the field. We took some snaps (though it was poor light and the snow was almost horizontal) The barnster then swooped off down the lane ahead of us and we gave up thoughts of seeing her again. Having nearly slipped over several times on the way down we suddenly noticed her sitting on a post about 40 feet ahead trying to look nonchalant under the cover of some branches. She noticed us and we saw her crouch and take off over the field. Managed a few more snaps of her hunting before she glided off behind a stand of pine.

What a beautiful bird and in the snow especially silent and ghostly.

Enjoy the snaps (sorry the quality isn't quite Simon King but we are happy amateurs and proud of it)

Hope you'll continue to pop by and enjoy this blog.