2017 Calendar

Front cover

Front cover		 Barn Owl and Tawny Owl

Back cover

Back cover		 January – Mistle Thrush
February – Red-necked Grebe
March – Marsh Harrier and Buzzard
April – Male Lapland Bunting
May – Turtle Dove
June – Little Owl pair
July – Greenshank
August – Icterine Warbler
September – Water Rail
October – Isabelline Shrike
November – Grey Partridge
December – Cattle Egret

As the front cover demonstrates, my nightly owl feeding programme continues to bear fruit (aided by siting a standard lamp and comfy seat just feet away from the favoured feeding post!) - placing me so close to the action that I only need the 80mm end of my Nikon 80-400mm VR and D810 with pop-up flash. Sadly I can only take single pictures, and whilst the Barn Owls offer a sporting chance by first hovering over the post, the same can’t be said for the Tawny, which can prove infinitely more challenging! Visits peak during the breeding season (when the Tawny generally returns about every twenty minutes), and activity then intensifies during the winter. Trying to capture the perfect image is proving so addictive that I tend to sit out most nights (often into the early hours!) braving the winter cold and summer mosquitoes and midges! Yet I feel so privileged to have these opportunities (as I write in July the Barn Owls in my loft have already fledged one brood of three and the female is now incubating a second clutch) that I’d be mad not to make the most of them. In fact I’ve even managed to partly offset the feeding costs by allowing the odd photographer to join me on occasions for a modest fee - something I may expand in the future (though being mindful that the welfare of the birds comes first I’d limit numbers to three and restrict it to those not in direct competition who do it largely for their own pleasure). Anyone just wishing to observe for a small fee is also welcome!

But of course nothing is certain in life, and I realise the situation could change at any time and I may be denied this wonderful spectacle - just as I lost my garden Turtle Doves and Tree Sparrow colony some years back (in spite of my best efforts to conserve them). Anyway, talking of conservation my mother is now almost 101 and is fortunately still able to reside at home. This has obviously meant my spending more time locally - though I did manage an eleven day trip to Poland in May (my first in three years) with a fellow photographer to experience the rich birdlife of the ancient Bialowieza Forest and Biebrza Marshes. Space doesn’t permit a list of the stunning bird species encountered, but suffice it to say I was able to put my new Nikon 500mm F4 E VR lens to good use; and it’s just a pity that I wasn’t then in receipt of the new Nikon D500 which I’m currently experiencing excellent results with (as also with the four new HD cameras in my owl loft). Sadly this all comes at a price (which calendar and card sales and photo royalties do little to offset!) and since I don’t do the lottery and continue to deplete my funds with my feeding and Barn Owl conservation programme I’m having to watch the pennies now that I’m an official OAP - though thankfully I still have all my own hair (see pic!). Some might say I photograph better from the rear!

Sales of this calendar directly benefit my conservation work and feeding programme
If you want to view an image 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 £9.50 £3.25 £12.75
A3 calendar £12.50 £4.75 £17.25


The 2016 Calendar page is available as an example of Richard's other photos.

To order please contact Richard Brooks.

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