📖 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🍂 Nights Draw In ~ 19/11/2023

 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Sunday 19th November 2023 🌤️  10C ~ Wind Var @ 3MPH ~ As we move towards the winter solstice next month, the nights are getting longer. We're losing approximately 4 minutes of daylight each day, and currently have only 7 hours and 45 minutes of daylight in Aberdeenshire. Dark nights have their advantages, and one of them is the opportunity to witness the Aurora Borealis. While the photograph below taken from the dining room window captures some of the beauty of the aurora, I couldn't actually see that much detail with the naked eye.

Aurora from my bedroom window taken on my iPhone with a 5-second exposure.

There is a common misconception when people see photographs of the aurora on TV. They often assume that the images show exactly what the observer would see with their naked eye. However, this is not always the case. The photographs are taken using a long exposure to capture and absorb the light. While it is true that the aurora can be seen along the Aberdeenshire coastline on occasion in such detail, it is actually a rare phenomenon but when it shows it truly is a breathtaking sight to behold as the new blog cover picture shows.

One of at least seven Short-eared Owls in Aberdeen today.

Anyway, to the birding and after a Waxwing invasion it now seems we have a Short-eared Owl invasion. Well locally at least with no less than seven birds quartering the Kings Links golf course in Aberdeen this afternoon. The Waxwings are still around in good numbers locally too and even today as we left the house their distinct calls could be heard as a few birds passed overhead. Unfortunately after a brief search of the treetops we never managed to connect and get the sort after 'garden tick'.

Having arrived in Aberdeen it wasn't long before we spotted our first Short-eared Owl and we enjoyed a fantastic hour watching the birds in the late afternoon. A surreal sight in the city as dog walkers and golfers went about their business. I took over 200 shots and just a few of the ones I've processed are above and below. 

Stunning Shot-eared Owls at Kings Links golf course Aberdeeen.