Playing peregrines

 I love this time of the year when the young peregrines are learning to fly and enjoy the art in the form of play.

 Turning summersaults is quickly learned and is done frequently.

 Playing tag is another popular pastime.

 Spitfire pilots during WW2 learned this from peregrines. Attack from below and catch the 'enemy' by surprise.

Well, it nearly always works.

Now they are playing foursomes. I didn't get many chances of capturing all four youngsters in one shot.

Quite a common sight is of a peregrine upside down.

Barn owls

Having computer problems over the past week has delayed me somewhat with my blog post but it did not stop my ventures with my camera, as I am up and running now here are some of the pictures I took.

The barn owl is first on the list, it will give me time to sort out the peregrine shots.

The barn owl shows up quite often now and is getting used to my presence. The young peregrines don't like it hunting on their patch and will often drive it off. I am yet to get a picture of this event, I've always got the wrong lens on or I am looking the wrong way.

The barn owl is slow on the wing and is a bird easy to photograph with many different postures when hunting.

Active peregrines

With a bit of luck going my way I was able to get closer to the peregrine nest site than I ever had before and still didn't get out of the car. This youngster was wasn't sure of his next move.......

.....eventually he decided to clamber up the chalk face albeit with some diffculty.

Mum was calling them, probably for their tea.....

.... this one also heard her but he was having fun playing hide-and-seek.

 Dad wasn't the least bit interested.....

.....and decided to fly off and do his own thing.

Family of four

My day was made when I saw these two young peregrines. I knew for weeks that there was a nest up there somewhere and it was confirmed the other day with the sighting of one youngster. Then I spotted these two.

 Then to my amazement I saw two more sitting on top of the cliff. I waited a long time hoping they would move closer to one another but no such luck this is the best shot I could get.

These two seemed to get on well together.

Meanwhile dad sat in a nearby tree watching his new family. All this without getting out of the driving seat of my car.

Barn owls again

 Nothing much happened this evening with the peregrines so my attention turned to the barn owl. This shot it flew straight at me, something that I've had happen several times before. As they hunt by sound I think they investigate the sound of the camera.

 Once it was satisfied it couldn't eat me it carried on hunting.

Owls soon become accustomed to human presence and will fly quite close. I had one land on my camera lens once, unfortuneately there was no-one around to get the picture.