23-03-08 With Hope to Harthope Valley

Today we went to Harthope Valley with the hope of perhaps an early Adder not sure when they are about this far north, but actually when the sun was out it was very warm ,but it changed very quickly with some heavy snow showers, not much snow lying other than on Cheviot, Dipper and Grey Wagtail on the stream, three Buzzards over and 2 Kestrel, plenty of Red Grouse calling as we where walking back to the car I saw this one at the road edge but with only my 50mm lens on I just walked nearer and nearer, great views of a Green Woodpecker as it called from the top of a dead tree and then flew off, 2 new birds for the year list ,also GSW, and Blue/Great/ Chaffinch with c12 Song Thrush & 5 Mistle Thrush, and a pair of Mallard on a small puddle also a Marsh or Willow did not get good enough views and two Treecreepers having a fight just feet away from me with a shaft of sunlight showing them off superbly, but alas 50mm lens is no good for birds this small,I was trying my hand at some scenery shots,but I am useless at it the shots just look flat and dull, I have joined a Photographic Society to try and improve my technique which at the current standard would not take much.
I did notice plenty of Hares chasing around they looked to me much larger than I have seen in the local fields , on the way home a Barn Owl showed in front of the car stopped and changed my lens but it had moved back along the road sitting on a fence post we had just passed ,a car stopped within feet of it from here it just moved a few posts ,the car neared and stopped again,fro here it looked as though it was going to come right over my head but veered off,followed by a very heavy snow shower, thats it home !!
These look good enough to eat!!!!
Looking across the valley
Looking East
Hawsen Burn

Langleyford with Hedgehope in the background
Not bad for a 50mm lens
The red really stands out , you could pick the birds out well up on the hillside.
Barn Owl number ........hundreth, but I never tire of seeing one
Have just been looking at Google Earth, and you can actually see this rough ground the Owl was hunting over, its fantastic !!!!!