Phil McLean Nature Photographer Blog

This is Part IV of the Duns CC’s day out with a falconer and his birds in the Berwickshire countryside.The only bird that I photographed that doesn’t breed in the Scottish Borders.

Here are some images of the 3rd bird in my falconers’ bird series.This is the male common kestrel,a falcon that I would love to have photographed more on the day.

Here is the 2nd installment of Duns C.C’s day out with a falconer in the local Berwickshire countryside.This is many peoples’ favourite owl,the ghostly apparition,the barn owl.

Over the past year or so the opportunities to get out with my camera have been alot more limited for me and it’s all been rather frustrating.So when Duns C.C booked a falconer for the day I was raring to go.We all met up on a local hill that had a few trees,heather and a couple of old gates that had been ‘borrowed’ from elsewhere.I’m led to believe that the sheep from ‘elsewhere’ didn’t wander too far without their gates but our needs were greater on the day.

It’s always nice to be able to fire away continuously for a few hours,fill up a few cards and hopefully have some half decent images at the end of the day.Of  course it’s never as good as photographing a real wild bird of prey but it still has it’s own challenges and is very enjoyable all the same.

Of course the downside is that all of the images have to be gone through and processed,with the added problem of leather anklets and jesses to try and hide away.Alot more time is spent on the computer than is spent enjoying yourself behind the camera.

Here are some images of the first bird up.The Common Buzzard.

Where I walk Ollie each day,we go down through a farm and there are dozens of house sparrows feeding at the roadside and in the yard.They are feeding on the spilt grain from the trailers, that bring it in from the fields,and the lorries, transporting it away.As we drive through they fly up into the hedges,noisily chatting away to each other.As you drive around locally you can see numerous little flocks of these birds flying into the hedge from roadsides and crop fields that haven’t yet been ploughed.At this time of the year in particular,it’s hard to believe that the house sparrow population has declined over the last 20-30 years by 70-80%.

Hopefully that decline can be reversed and this ‘little brown job’ will survive,multiply and continue to provide its’ constant,busy little chatter in the countryside.

Here’s a few images.

House Sparrow,m in hawthorn hedge.

House Sparrow,m.

House Sparrow,f amid hawthorn berries.

Scruff.

House Sparrow,f and hawthorn berries.

House Sparrow,m.

I was just out for a short drive when I spotted this kestrel hunting along the hillside by the side of the road,above Duns in the Scottish Borders.There were actually 4 of them hanging in the breeze at various points and working their way,back and forward, over the rough grass and bracken.None of them came quite close enough but here are some of the images from this encounter.

Hovering Kestrel.

Kestrel hunting.

Kestrel.

Kestrel in flight.

Most days I walk Ollie down to the River Whiteadder,here in Berwickshire in the Scottish Borders.It’s only 10 minutes to the river and I’ll often carry a camera,on a tripod ,with me.On this occasion I had my macro lens on the camera and here are some of the images that I took along that walk.

Garden Spider wrapping up Wall butterfly prey.

Garden Spider feeding on Wall butterfly.

Garden Spider feeding on Wall butterfly.

Garden Spider feeding on Wall butterfly.

Scabious gone to seed.

Beetle on rosebay willowherb leaves.

Beetle on rosebay willowherb leaves.

Beetle on rosebay willowherb.

Spider lying in wait.

7 Spot Ladybird.

Here’s a few more images of the Red Grouse up in the Lammermuirs when the hills were covered in flowering heather.

Red Grouse in flowering heather,in the Lammermuirs.

Red Grouse.

Red Grouse in flowering heather.

Red Grouse in the Lammermuirs.

Red Grouse in flowering heather.