Showing posts with label Tawny Owl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tawny Owl. Show all posts

Monday, 2 March 2020

An Afternoon at Dunwich Heath (and Minsmere)

NT coastguard cottages at Dunwich Heath, Suffolk, UK
Like many others, we have been feeling somewhat confined to base on account of the recent storms and high winds, so it was a joy to see the sunshine over the weekend. We headed for the coast at Dunwich Heath.


It felt quite bracing to start with, but the sun soon helped the temperatures to rise (though I gather some snow is forecast in our region tomorrow).


It didn't take David long to spot a Stonechat, and in fact there were two. They were quite a distance from us, so I apologise for what is barely a record shot.


The National Trust have these beautiful Hebrideans to maintain a healthy heathland ecology.


There was gorse in abundance, along with that warm coconut aroma that it seems to give off in the sunshine.


Suddenly we heard a distinctive call and I spotted a Dartford Warbler.


The photo above has been considerably enlarged (and cropped) from the one above, but it gives an impression of the beady eye and those orange legs.


You get good views of Southwold from Dunwich.



There are few insects about at present, so I was quite pleased to find what I think may be a Yellow Dung Fly. I have only seen one once before, so my ID may or may not be correct.


These are the coastguard cottages. Edward Thomas, the poet, stayed in one of these while he was writing a biography of Richard Jefferies.


The photo below shows the expanse of empty beach...


...and this is the view in the other direction, with RSPB Minsmere down below and Sizewell in the far distance.



After a thermos of Earl Grey, we dragged ourselves away from the waves and drove home via Minsmere. We have seen floods in the network of low-lying roads in the area before, but these were probably the most extensive ones we have encountered here. Our hearts go out to all who have been affected by the floods elsewhere.

Road near Minsmere



Flooded fields


And, yes, twe were on this road...






We came home to a starry night and a pair of Tawny Owls making their respective 'twits' and 'twoos'.

Tuesday, 18 March 2014

Lighthouse (Blog) Award



My thanks to Juliet Wilson aka Crafty Green Poet for nominating me for The Lighthouse Award for this blog. Juliet blogs about the environment, about poetry and about her craft projects that involve recycled material. Juliet has edited the online poetry magazine, Bolts of Silk, since 2006.

The award was created by Coach Muller at ‘Good Times Stories’ who says this is “an award to recognize the people who have created beautiful, heartwarming, and inspirational blogs. Their blogs bring us happiness, enlighten our hearts, and bring a little joy to our lives when we visit their pages. The work that these people have done has truly given us rays of light in a gloomy world."


Mabel the Tawny Owl


And now it falls to me to nominate others for the Award. I have chosen a variety of bloggers from the USA to the Philippines, with interests largely in the realms of poetry, photography and the natural world. Do visit the listed blogs and enjoy the variety!

So in the hope that one or two of the following blog friends will accept the award and pass it on to other bloggers, I nominate (in no particular order) ...

  • Matt for his blog, Polyolbion, which blends poetry matters and reviews with birding.
  • Em for her blog, Dartmoor Ramblings, with art and stunning photographs of Dartmoor.
  • Adam for his detailed blog, My Life Outside, about wildlife in South Wales (and sometimes on Mull).
  • Lucy at Loose and Leafy, hosting the 2014 blog initiative, 'Tree Following'.
  • Marc for his innovative Folding Mirror Poetry.
  • Naquillity for her natural-world based poesaics and fototudes. 
  • Andrea for her blog, Pure Oxygen Generators, from the Philippines
  • Mary for her USA-based Faith, Fabric and Photos ... wonderful quilts and stunning birds! 

Thursday, 13 February 2014

Meet Mabel the Tawny Owl



I had seen several posts about Mabel the Tawny Owl, but when we visited her tree at the weekend, she was not at home. I returned to the park this afternoon, reckoning that she might be sitting (well, sleeping) out in the sunshine after the stormy nights. And, as you can see, my visit was rewarded. 


Mabel has been in the local news recently, as you can see here


Mabel produced an owlet in 2012, which you can read about here.
Reg Snook has written a book about her.


This is Mabel's fifth season in the park.