Our barn owl (2)

... last night .... another evening spent photographing our owl. Not such good light but some lovely close fly-bys that were too quick and close to photograph. ....and the obligatory hare. 

The first glimpse across the field...

Disappearing...

First bee-fly of the year

 From Tom....we are no where near having bee-flies out and about! 

After seeing a few hairy-footed flower bees on campus, I thought I would try and get a photo today. While the weather wasn't great, so there weren't many out, I was rewarded by my first dark-edged bee-fly of the year, as well as a few mining bees and the first wood anemone. 

Daffodils on campus.

Dark-edged bee-fly.

Dark-edged bee-fly on primrose. 

Andrena mining bees. 

A new species for me- cream-streaked ladybird.

Wood anemone.

Our barn owl...

We are very lucky to have a barn owl that, at the moment, regularly hawks the fields around us. I haven't the patience to sit and wait in a hide for her to come past, but prefer just walking the dog and if she comes past chance a quick photo. I say she... we have always called any barn owls we see  'she' and  they are all named Cobweb. 

March Hares

The hares are becoming a lot more visible now and beginning to form groups or pairs....and it has been perfect weather for a late afternoon walk....

Signs of Spring - at last!

 A gorgeous evening and after school walk....finally the flowers are beginning to come out...and the noise from the Boltongate rookery was superb! 

Skiddaw...

Coltsfoot, primrose and celandines.

Pussy willow and Hart's-tongue fern.

Rabbits! 

I don't like the way that our verges are being invaded by daffodils, but they are cheery.

Lambs.

Hares ...more to come in the next blog...

The rookery ....

..and rooks...

Armathwaite cliff sculptures

Whist walking upstream from Armathwaite there were some beautiful sandstone exposures...

Yellow Star fo Bethlehem felt ball

The night before we went to Armathwaite to see  the yellow star of Bethlehem, it suddenly occurred to me that it woud be a good subject for one of my felt balls (that are part of a now revived felting project), to celebrate the flora of Cumbria. So a late night felting and I was ready. I will do a catch up blog about my felted flower balls at some stage.