Walk into the unknown or the final frontier!!

Not really much of a wildlife related post, possibly 2 mentions of that but headed out on 2nd and 3rd March to attempt a long exposure shot of the International Space Station (ISS) heading over in the clear night sky.  Seeing that the past few nights have brought incredibly clear skies I decided to head to Marton Mere and try my first shot of the ISS.

On arriving I was greeted by...well... darkness, no street lights around so a perfect opportunity of a low light shot.  Looking towards the coast there was still a blue hint to the sky so I thought this would make a nice touch to see the ISS go from a faint light to bright.  Then it appeared but me being me had not taken into consideration that the damn thing would be literally right above me and not closer to the horizon as I expected DOH!!!  A quick alteration to the camera and I was in position, fired of around 5 shots and luckily ONE is possibly a keeper, see below.

ISS over Blackpool - 03/03/2011

I promise you this IS NOT a white line added to the image in post processing via Photoshop as that's how it may look but seeing as the shot was taken with the camera's lens open for 30 seconds, that's what you get.

Right finally to the mention of wildlife.  I did hear something that I had never heard before in my life go over and it sounded incredibly unnerving but after a brief discussion with Mr DM and an explanation that it had a undulating call, he pointed me in the direction of http://www.xeno-canto.org/europe/  and to check either Woodcock, Snipe or Long Eared Owl.  Soon as I listened to the 3rd Snipe call that was it nail on head, I had heard a Snipe go over, thanks to DM and his years of expertise.  On the walk back home, I was also possibly buzzed by a Long Eared Owl, this is not 100% as I obviously was in the darkness but larger silhouette that anything else that could of been around at that time and possibly call in the distance not long after.

All in all a quite successful evening and definitely somewhere I will head again in the early evening.  Oh and one more thing, had a run in with another dog owner... sure I must attract them.