CHOOSING A NICE AFTERNOON.

1st March 2015.

Richard has had a very busy week due to men working in the house and other things so he was unable to get out this week and is at the moment in his words "going a bit Little Owl less crazy".

I however decided to have a visit out on Wednesday the 25th and headed straight for Rutland Water, no stops on the way and arrived at the Egleton Car Park at about 13.00 hrs. Had my lunch and then set off to sign in and have a walk about.

On getting out of the car I noticed we had a bus in the parking bay and walked towards the centre. Outside were a group of school children who by the buckets of water had been to the dipping pond, one of the full time staff at the centre had got a few children lined up and was herself holding a bottle up with water in and getting the second child to hold up her bottle and asking the rest of the children which was the cleanest water. This carried on through another four children until the cleanest bottle was chosen. The lady then asked the children what they must do if they wished to drink the water, lots of hands were up in the air with miss miss miss, a child was chosen and the answer of boil it miss was given, excellent said the lady, what else could we do if we wished to drink it, silence ensued until a little boy to the back put his hand up, yes said the lady, to which he replied throw it away miss and get some out of the tap, no said the lady we could put some sterilizing tablets in to the water, a little voice chirped up again, no miss my mum would say throw it away and get some out of the tap. I just made it into the centre before collapsing in a heap laughing.

After that short break I then set off towards Wet Meadow to see what if anything was about. I was in the hide for about 15 minutes and only got an image of a Little Egret about 180 metres away, so then set off towards Fieldfare hide on the South Arm of the Reservoir. On arrival I could see the Great White Egret behind some trees and eventually managed a shot and then it moved more to the left into an area of reeds where I eventually got another couple of shots. I could see Teal, Goldeneye and other ducks but all were so far away it was not possible to get an image so I made my way back calling in all the hides again. On arrival at Mallard Hide {Lagoon 1} not much was about, some snipe were tucked into the reeds but I could not get a clear shot, and then I saw a solitary Curlew, got a couple of images and then it decided to have a wash and brush up, images below. On leaving the hide I found a lady in a state of panic, whats wrong I asked and she pointed to the floor about 3 metres in front of her, upon looking down a spider about 40 mm across sat on the floor about 300mm from my foot, upon closer inspection it was made of plastic so I take it the school children had also visited Mallard Hide and one had either dropped it or placed it on the floor to frighten the party, certainly worked with the lady.

I then returned to the car and set off home Little Owling on the return, I saw two Little Owls at Site 12, one at Site 9, one at Site 17 and one at Site 1, this being the first time I have seen a Little Owl at this Site since August so wonderful to see. So five Little Owls were seen on the return journey.

Little Egret, Wet Meadow, Snipe Hide.

Bird well of to the right of the Hide possibly closer to Harrier Hide, distance of about 180 metres.

Great White Egret, Fieldfare Hide, South Arm.

Met a gent on the way to Fieldfare hide and asked him if he had seen the G.W.E., he said he had just left the hide and no sign of the bird. I arrived within five minutes and guess what had arrived, Well hidden initially as you can see but then moved to the left. 

This having moved to the left, but unfortunately it had got barb wire in front of it. This also shows how full the reservoir is.

A bit clearer view but still with the barb wire. 

Curlew, Mallard Hide, Lagoon 1.

Took a while to find a bird, some snipe were hidden in the reeds and no clear shots were possible, then I spotted the above bird. It was 135 metres away so not a bad image.

A better side shot and then it was if a bomb exploded. 

The bird decided to have a wash and brush up. 

And more. 

After about three minutes things settled down and the bird flew off. 

 What is This Bird?????
This Having Asked at the Farm is a Rhea.

Spotted about 300 metres from Little Owl Site No. 4. It was in a field adjacent to a farm with about six domestic ducks, these obviously were its friends as everywhere the ducks went this followed, I would say this is a pet of the farm. If any of you have any idea to the bird please reply. It has beautiful blue eyes.

Had a shake and fluffed up the body and wing feathers. 

Buzzard not far from Little Owl Site No. 1.

At last I am learning, these are such sensitive birds I stopped that much farther away and managed to get this shot just prior to the bird flying. Image taken at about 60 metres.

Little Owl Site No. 12.
First site I got to on my return journey and sat in the tree we think is the nest tree were both birds. We usually see these birds at the adjacent barn. By this time however the light had gone awful and it had started to rain. Distance of about 130 metres.

Little Owl Site No. 17.

How our weather changes, it can only be five miles from the previous site but by the time I had got to the site the sun had broken through but only for a few minutes, Stopped 130 metres up the road from the bird, saw it with the bins, reversed onto the verge making sure I kept the front drive wheels on the road, the fields here are very wet and muddy, and took the image so as not to cause any stress on the bird and then away.

Plastic Spider Outside Mallard Hide.

This is what caused the panic by the lady trying to approach the hide, I'm sure it was placed or dropped by one of the children {no doubt a little boy} earlier to frighten the girls in his party.





Thank you for your visit, if any of you have a species for the bird, could you please reply.