I have had some successes during the last couple of weeks - quite out of the ordinary, if I am honest.

After having a thoroughly disapponing dry spell for interesting photos, a friend and I decided that we would visit Bradgate Park, Leicestershire for the deer rut, somewhere that neither of us had visited before. At least our intended subjects would definitely be there!!!

An excellent day with me taking over 2000 photos that I have not fully processed yet so watch this space.

There have been up to eight Cattle Egrets in my immediate area. They are not a common species to the UK yet, although our increasingly warm climate is attracting more of them from the Mediterranean. I had tried to find them three previous times without success but last Monday, needing some fuel from the local Tesco garage, I suddenly decided to take my camera and have another try.

Bingo. There they were following the cattle herd and not too flighty.

On Wednesday, I travelled to Frampton Marsh RSPB. Not expecting to be successful with all, I had sights on the long staying Long-Billed Dowitcher, the Ruddy Shelduck and the local Merlin. One out of the three would be good and so it transpired with the Long-billed Dowitcher on show, rather distant but the weather conditions were good. This is an American species and, as far as I know, is the only one on the country at present. It is a juvenile so rather drab.

The rest of the day was disappointing with only a feeding Little Egret of real interest.

Yesterday, Friday, I visited nearby Burwell Fen, well known at this time of the year for the over-wintering Short-eared Owls. There were four or five of them flying around with at least 28 photographers anxious to excercise their trigger fingers. I took just a few shots as I have loads of photos of this species already.

I really went to photograph the large flock of a winter thrush, Fieldfare, but they were much too flighty with all the attention they were getting.

Overall, an interesting week - now back to the deer!!!!