Sometimes it is the planned event that provides inspiration, or tonight the unexpected gem of an encounter. Tonight I did a 20 mile round trip through the towns and villages around here. Pewsey, Marlborough and Wilton in Wiltshire and just across the border, Hungerford in West Berkshire, which gives this posting a shining image. The lights were great, they never look quite as good in a photo but I'm a big fan of Christmas light. BUT what happened next exceeded all expectations. Coming back via the lanes to the house we stopped at Wilton Windmill which we can see from the house over a couple of fields. We'd actually stopped there to look at the stars as this part of Wiltshire is almost 100% unpolluted by artificial light. However what happened was that as I got out the car a male tawny owl was hooting and over the field another replying. Luckily I had a hand held recorded with me and the link below is the result. As I listen now my mind goes back to being in pitch darkness (so dark I couldn't see the recorder in my hand), stars so bright that I felt I could touch them and all of this given the backdrop serenade of a hoot and a whoo-hoo of a tawny owl. Wildlife experiences do not get much better than that and a memory that will live in me for a long time.
Here's the link to the 1'30" edited clip :
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