Some mixed pics

This time I'm showing you just few randomly taken photos from my walks.
Couple of weeks ago while walking around the Redmires reservoars I had the good fortune to see buzzards and a carrion crow fighting just above my head! Otherwise it rarely happens that I come so close to birds of prey. While there I also took the opportunity to if any water voles were to be found and I managed to see two of them. It seems as they have declined in number over the past year. Its maybe just a feeling, as I've not been there so often lately to really see all the activity.
I have also been to the Rivelin Valley and there has finally dippern come back after last year's fiasco when they just suddenly disappeared and never came back. They are busy building their nest, and I hope to later in the year get some more pictures of them.
One more thing, I found a frog that had climbed up a tree and was looked out over the water. Agree, it sound strange but it was for sure funny. Its those small things that can make the day a little extra special. 
Last picture is showing a wood pigeon just sitting in a tree feasting on the fresh leaves just outside the flat. Never seen that before :)

Have a great weekend!

                                                                             

Finally better weather

Soon, a week has passed since I came home from Sweden and I've hardly been out and I blame the miserable weather.
Started with thick fog for 3-4 days then came the cold, wind and snow as well.
But today it brightened up a bit so I went down to the Rivelin Valley where I usually go to shoot dippers and other birds.
But I only got out the door when it started blowing and snowing heavily, but the weather forecast had promised better weather so I continued.
The rest of the morning was a bit mixed weather with blizzard, sun and everything in between.
Did my usual round and was looking for the Dipper, but I could not see them.
Tried to shoot treecreeper and longtailed tit instead, they're not the easiest thing to take on, they are constantly in motion.
Then I proceeded to the place where I usually turn back, when I saw a big bird flew away, and this is the first time I see a bird of prey here in the woods, it was a buzzard. 
It was nice to see the buzzard probably it's here to hunt ducks in the river.
On the way back home the dipper had arrived so I followed them for some time before I went back home.

Camera equipment: Nikon 3Ds Nikon 200-400mm f4 lens and Kenko 1,4 telekonverter.

One evening on the bike

Last evening I biked down to the Rivelin Valley in search of owls, primarily Little Owl. The owl is only 21-23 cm long, so even if it's there, you have to see it, which I unfortunately did not. I have some bad luck with my owls searching because I manage to not find them anywhere. : (But the weather could hardly have been better sunshine and 23 degrees, I can not complain. Did a little detour into the woods thinking I could maybe see a badger at least or a fox, but of course I did not see it either. What I was thinking about was the lack of mosquitoes, which was really nice because when I was in northern Sweden, it was different, as soon as you stopped when you were out walking they came in rather large swarms not so fun to take pictures then ;) But I managed to see a new bird species and it was a Whitethroat not a good picture of it though. Saw also sparrow hawk, Kestrel and a buzzard that I got some pictures of, the other two were too far away. Between 20:00 to 22:00 I biked on small village roads where they've seen owls, the roads go through the animal farms and there tends to be owls because there are usually also the rodents. After 22:00, it is no great idea to be left on, then it's already so dark that it nearly impossible to take pictures.
And today it is thunder and raining so I do not really feel like going out, but will see in the evening if it clears up, then maybe I cycle up to Redmires.

Beatiful butterfly

Blackcap/Svarthätta

Buzzard/Ormvråk

Buzzard

Whitethroat (female)

Swallow

Carrion crows gathers for evening

Whitethroat (male) no good picture ;)