Watching You, Watching Me

Eerily quiet in the twilight; the sun dripping orange as it dropped behind the trees ....waiting in the freezing cold. Leaning against a beautiful grey drystone wall covered in various yellowy lichens, bathed in the golden glow of late evening sunshine, snuggled in the Cotswold hills; my lens ready but my fingers shaking with cold . An hour went by and I wondered if the barn owl would show.

Such a large territory and difficult to get a close-up shot as he hunted up on my horizon. I'd changed the lens for a bigger one as the distance made it impossible, balancing it on the wall because of the weight for ages when suddenly he did a fairly rapid circuit in my direction.

It was one of those awful but brilliant moments - with the lens I had on I was just not going to get a shot so I stood there as he flew straight towards me, right up close right..up..... and did a hover just 10 foot above my head!! Watching me watching him! Oh MY!! It wasn't just magical it was utterly fantastic!! Grinning from ear to ear I watched as he made his way down the lane out of sight. Kicking myself too I have to add :)