2015 ended

There were 2 Ural Owls at Onuma yesterday. This was in a hole that I thought had been abandoned.............

2015 ending slowly............

The weather relented a bit and we ended up at Onuma in brilliant winter sunshine.............

Fox and Owl

On the way back from Yakumo we stopped at Onuma just before sunset. It was dark and snowing. A pair of Black Woodpecker were around as were 2 staples, Red Fox and Ural Owl.

Christmas in Yakumo

We spent the 25/26 in and around Yakumo.............

On this day (December 26th).....................

December 26th 2011.

A Solitary Snipe at Yakumo 4 years ago today. This is a scarce winter visitor that inhabits frigid winter streams in the hills. I've seen the species several times at Yakumo but this was the only time I ever managed a photo................and even then it was a hastily taken massively underexposed heavy crop too.

Phoned in Xmas eagle

Processed in camera and on phone, these never look good when done on my iphone for some reason.

That time of year again

A Ural Owl at Onuma last weekend. Not feeling very christmassy despite it being Christmas Eve, no snow outside for starters. Maybe I'll feel differently after a few beers and some movie watching..............

Some birds from around town.............

A quiet couple of days in town..................

Some Scaup

Finding solstice in the fishing ports

The shortest day of the year was mild and rainy in Hakodate.............

Still BIFness as usual

Another mild Sunday saw us up in Yakumo..............

Still no winter

A Common Buzzard outside Hakodate yesterday............

Another mild December day

On this Day (December 8th)..............

December 8th 2013.

A Ural Owl 2 years in Onuma. This was in a  huge dead 'chimney' tree with a huge hole for it to rest in. My photos from the last few weeks are of a different individual in a different hole.

Unfortunately the next spring the tree snapped in half during a storm................so the Owl had to move somewhere safer but also away from prying cameras....................

Grey Monday skies

Grey skies again saw us up in Yakumo and Oshamanbe...........

A wintry day at last

Today was a cold dark grey wintry Sunday..............

A full frame Owl..................

Last Sunday at Onuma it got very dark so I switched cameras and borrowed my wife's 6D. This is Canon's entry level full frame camera and althought it lacks in the AF department it is supposed to be a champion at high ISOs. Anyway the Owl wasn't exactly jumping around so AF was not an issue.

The top pic is uncropped and wide open at f4 and I quite like the effect.

The pic below is trimmed a little. It is ISO 1600, something I would only rarely do with an cropped sensor Canon, even the relatively new 7D MK2.

So now I'm thinking should I get the 1DX MK2 or just settle on the 5D MK4. My wife would kill me if she found out I was thinking of such things but luckily she never reads my blog................

My hospital experience is over, on doctor's advice I'm off booze, exercise and spicy food for a week or two and my insides still feel way off.

It's a blizzard outside. Winter has come...................hope the Owl is snug in its treehole.

2015 Best of #4

A last batch of shots from the past year..............