It was still standing there when I had finished taking a few shots so I decided to set up the camcorder and managed some video of it. Dull conditions but at least the 70x zoom let me get a lot closer.
I should think it was there for over ten minutes just surveying the area. No doubt working out which fish pond to try next. The soundtrack I call 'Moody' and was something I threw together this morning while I was experimenting with a program called Acoustica and some Ejay Dance wav files.
Just as I was taking the camera in there was a sudden flash of movement as a Sparrow Hawk dived in the centre of one of my small trees not 12 feet from me and grabbed a Sparrow. When it saw me it took off with its prey. Flying very low it was just missed by a passing car and then only as the driver braked. As usual - no photo but another rare bit of excitement for this sleepy village..
A good day by the sound of things. Camera batteries were charged as a bonus!
ReplyDeleteHe does look as though he's checking everything out there.
ReplyDeleteHello Adrian. I always have a fully charged battery for each camera on standby. It was a little bit of action on a very dreary day, weather wise.
ReplyDeleteHello Keith. It did seem to spend a long time making its mind up where to go next but then they are patient birds used to waiting for food to turn up.
ReplyDeleteWow, excitement indeed! Terrific that you were able to take photos and video of the heron. I must say I've never seen one on a roof before. They are extremely patient birds. I've seen the Great Blue Heron stand like a statue for ages in the shallows of the sea, just waiting for the moment to strike, and then with such suddenness.
ReplyDeleteAlso seeing a sparrow hawk whisk off with a poor sparrow must have been quite a sight!
I hope your weather cheers up a bit as too much dreary weather can be disheartening. Sometimes when we get sea fog here for days, I head up to the mountains to find some blue sky!
Hello Glo. I don't think I have seen a heron on a roof before. It was a good opportunity to observe it even if it was so far away.
ReplyDeleteWhen the Sparrow Hawk struck it couldn't see me as I was just inside my front porch so it was very surprised when it spotted me. It was unusual to see one dive right in to the small tree as they are normally cautious about damaging their flight feathers. No doubt very hungry.
Well we did get some sunshine today, along with blustery snow showers. The wind blowing across the North Sea is very cold at the moment.