At this time of the year with plenty of daylight I like to make early morning excursions into Bowland. Bowland’s lanes and backroads are very quiet and especially so early on a summers morning. I left home around 4am and before I had reached Longridge I came across two roe deer feeding close to the road. I managed a few shots but my view was obscured I was however pleased with the image of the roebuck in the flowerey meadow. I carried on my usual route over Longridge Fell and into some of the back lanes of Bowland.
Brown hares were very much in evidence and I managed some nice portraits from the comfort of the car. A great surprise was to come across a hunting barn owl and I did manage a couple of record shots before it vanished. On into Bowland for more encounters with brown hares and the usual waders posing in the fields and on roadside walls. One oystercatcher was posing on top of the well known phone bow at Dinckling Green. A goldfinch was also very colourful posing at the side of the road.
Hope you enjoy some of my Bowland images from an early morning ride into this lovely part of Lancashire. You can be assured I will return soon as the current very hot weather is not good for wildlife or photography during the heat of the day. Thanks for looking in and I may post again before I have to go into hospital.
Brian Rafferty
I am based in Preston. Lancashire. This central location enables me to travel easily to a wide variety of habitats in the North of England. I tend these days not to travel very far as I find that there is plenty to see not very far from home. On my own doorstep are a wonderful variety of habitats - natural woodlands, open fells and hill country, unspoilt river valleys and I have easy access to the delights of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks. As you will see from my bird images much time is spent at the wonderful coastal sites forming part of Morecambe Bay and the Ribble Estuary e.g. Marshside and Leighton Moss. In recent years Digital Photography has taken over from Video and as time has moved on I have acquired more and more equipment - as you do!!
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