2009 Calendar – Home and Away

Front cover

Front cover		 Singing Skylark – Alauda arvensis

Back cover

Back cover		 January – Fieldfare – Turdus pilaris
February – Barn Owl – Tyto alba
March – Grey Partridge – Perdix perdix
April – Kingfisher – Alcedo atthis
May – Corncrake – Crex crex
June – Spoonbill – Platalea leucorodia
July – Short-eared Owl – Asio flammeus
August – Young Barn Owls – Tyto alba
September – Young Swallows – Hirundo rustica
November – Long-eared Owl – Asio otis
December – Pheasant – Phasianus colchicus

Richard Brooks became a professional wildlife photographer in the early 1990’s, and although best known for his association with Lesvos and especially his book Birding on the Greek Island of Lesvos (which first appeared in ‘98), he has now been photographing wildlife near his home in Fulmodeston, Norfolk since moving there full-time thirteen years ago. Apart from 60’s and 70’s music and sampling as many different beers as possible, birds of the feathered variety are his main passion – especially owls, and in particular the Barn Owl (which he photographs whenever possible from his 4x4 by using it for the purpose for which it was intended rather than for weekly trips to the supermarket!). Owls also figure prominently in the range of limited edition greetings cards, prints and framed pictures he produces; whilst his articles and images feature regularly in the bird watching press. He won the professional section of the Wild Bird Photographer of the Year 2000 run by Bird Watching magazine, and has frequently been placed amongst the top ten entrants in the annual British Birds photo competition. From October 2004 he took the logical but painful step of embracing digital photography, and he now owns two Nikon D300’s and has recently upgraded his trusty Nikon 500mm AFS lens to the new Image Stabilised (or VR) version for the cost of a small family car! Other than financial repercussions the main downside to all this is having to spend a number of hours a day downloading and editing images over the computer instead of being out in the field or indulging in his increasingly time-consuming and largely unpaid conservation work, which has now seen him virtually single-handedly site close on 600 Barn Owl boxes throughout North Norfolk. All are now regularly monitored under licence (yielding much useful information on the birds’ breeding success and eventual dispersal) and currently provide a secure home for close on 100 pairs - pride of place going to the birds which in 2008 finally tenanted the owl hole he had installed in the end of his cottage 15 years ago (a site they reluctantly shared with a family of Jackdaws!). To this end he is always on the look-out for more potential sites or unwanted tea chests. Through regular feeding, sympathetic management and the provision of nest boxes on his ‘mini nature reserve’ of about an acre he has also managed to attract a varied population of breeding and wintering birds - including threatened species like Turtle Dove and Tree Sparrow. Apart from his annual spring trip to Lesvos he also managed a May trip to the Uists, Mull and Speyside again in 2008; but in view of rising fuel costs this may have to be his last. As yet he is still awaiting payment for the use of his Red Kite image (reproduced here) on the September 07 Royal Mail stamp issue, which led to a short appearance on About Anglia, an Eastern Daily Press article and an hour long appearance on What’s Rockin’ Norfolk – Radio Norfolk’s version of Desert Island Discs. Sadly the resulting fan mail comprised just one email! If anyone wishes to add to this feel free to contact him for more information about his work and the full programme of talks and products he has on offer! In the meantime this calendar aims to capture some of the highlights of his year’s travels.

If you want to view a PDF of both the front and back covers in more detail then click on the links above the images. Better still, of course, you could purchase one (or more!) calendars from me at the prices shown below. Postage and packing rates relate purely to the UK.


 Price UK P&P Total
A4 calendar £10 £2.50 £12.50
A3 calendar £16 £3 £19


The 2008 Calendar page is available as an example of Richard's other photos.

To order please contact Richard Brooks.

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