A VISIT TO CALKE PARK AND RUTLAND WATER.

I decided on Tuesday the 21st of August to have an evening  visit to Calke for hopefully another session with the Badgers, I only saw two Badgers  that were a considerable distance away and through the trees so no images of them this visit. I had a wonderful time watching some Fallow Deer, such beautiful creatures.

I then on Thursday the the 23rd had an afternoon visit to Rutland Water at the Egleton Reserve for a bit of a wander around, this is a site I have not visited lately so I was looking forward to seeing some reasonable birds from the reports posted.



CALKE PARK.
21st August.

As it was forecast as being a dry evening, I had a quick tea at home and got underway to Calke so as to arrive before the gates were closed. On arriving in the car park I could see Fallow deer at the far end pasture so a steady walk down without disturbing them was called for, I actually walked down one of the paths to a small lake and came back up the next path and finished within 50 metres of the deer.

After this I visited one of the bird hides but impatient to get over to the Badgers I didn't stay very long before getting away across the fields and into the wood.
On arriving I was amazed as to how the evenings are drawing in and at about 1940 hrs I saw my first Badger, a good distance away but also partially screened behind some trees, another followed after about another fifteen minutes in virtually the same place, no images but so good to be seeing them.
Then at 20.45 hrs I saw a Barn Owl flying towards me followed by another, both settled in an Oak tree about 45 metres from me, one I could partially see and the second was completely screened by foliage and branches, a pair of juvenile birds which I must inform Bill about.
After this as it was getting dark I headed back towards the car park and home after a wonderful evening.  

Fallow Deer Stag.

This beauty walked in front of the white stag as I was just arriving to the site.

Velvet peeling from antlers.

Buck Fallow Deer.

This youngster then appeared up the bank from the area of the small lake I had just walked up from.

Again with peeling velvet. 

Greenfinch, Car Park Bird Hide .

After my time with the Fallow deer I spent a few minutes in the hide, not much about then this little beauty flew in to pick up and scraps from the feeders.

Young Barn Owl, adjacent to Badger sett.

I finished up by taking over twenty images of this bird before I managed something that was of a reasonable focus quality, this is at ISO 22800 as it was virtually dark. This bird landed and sat about 45 metres from me, its sibling sat approx 1.2 metres farther into the tree and was completely buried in foliage and branches.

RUTLAND WATER.

EGLETON RESERVE.

23 rd August.

After a steady drive over I arrived at the centre for 13.00 hrs and after booking in with David and a quick chat as to what was about I got underway. My idea being to have a walk round most of the hides and a visit to Fishponds to see if I could after numerous visits eventually see the elusive {to me} Juvenile Purple Heron.

I visited all the hides and then walked around the back of Lagoon four, past the Volunteer Training Centre and out onto the road and round to Fishponds, unfortunately no Heeron and a greater distance walk than I remembered. So it was a quick about turn and head back to the car park, I should have driven round, I could then have spent more time looking.

Little Grebe, Grebe Hide, Lagoon 2.

On arrival this little bird suddenly popped up, so I managed this quick image, thought I would take another to be sure. 

And this is what I managed as it dived again.

Osprey Pair, Sandpiper Hide, Lagoon 4.

This is the Male Osprey {4K/2014} I saw early season who had built up the nest trying to attract a female which he appears at last to have succeeded in doing. I was told later in the day he was fishing and giving the female {the right hand bird} his catch so all looks good for next season. 205 metre shot. I'm not sure as to why the male was mantling but apparently a Peregrine had been about earlier.
 

Snipe, Shoveler Hide, Lagoon 3.

On arrival this single Snipe sat to the left of the Hide at a distance of just over 60 metres.

Then these three joined it.

Then another four a little farther  away.

Then another three arrived to the far side of the Island.
In the end we had over twenty birds in the area,

This is the most Snipe I have ever seen together and wonderful to see such a beautiful bird in numbers.

Ruff, Shoveler Hide, Lagoon 3.

This single bird then appeared for only a few minutes and then was gone. This at a distance of 60 metres. 

Little Egret, Shoveler Hide, Lagoon 3.

This on the island between the Hide and the main body of the lagoon, looks as if he is on the prowl.

Lapwing, Shoveler Hide, Lagoon 2.

We then had approximately thirty of these birds land in amongst the Snipe which caused a bit of a panic.

Gadwall Drake, Buzzard Hide, Lagoon 3.

I had a quick visit into this hide prior to my visit to fishponds.Several Drakes were about when this one decided to have a bathe.
 

Hebridean Sheep, Shoveler Hide, Lagoon 3.

This is just two of a small party that crossed this section of water to get to the island, the grass must be that much better over the water. 

She found this a wonderful place to have a scratch. 

And then they all returned back whence they came, they must have thought it was worth getting wet.

Greylag Geese, Shoveler Hide, Lagoon 3.

These birds {about 40} had moved onto the Island from the main body of the Lagoon.

Marsh Harrier, Grebe Hide, Lagoon 2.

This is the only Hide I visited on my return from Fishponds, just in time to see this bird flying a good distance away and then it decided to land in a Willow and made a total hash of it. About 250 metres away. 

Hornet Grub from the Barn Owl Box.

The gent that got rid of the Hornets for me returned and cleaned up the remnants from in the entrance to the box and replaced the padlock on the door. This fat grub was just under 25mm long, considerably larger than I imagined.
I have not put the cameras on in the boxes but I was out the other evening and I heard the owls calling, I just hope they will return.




Thank you for your visit, I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I did in the getting of the images.

BAD NEWS WITH THE BARN OWLS AND GETTING TOWARDS THE END WITH THE OSPREY.

I was out in the garden this afternoon working on getting some ivy out from one of my hedges when I saw a Hornet fly past me, I then saw another and this time took a little more notice and watched in horror as it disappeared into the front of the larger of the two Barn Owl boxes. I immediately rushed back to the house and put the CCTV cameras on in both boxes hoping not to see dead Barn Owls in either box, luckily no signs of any owls,. I then phoned my friend Rhys who came round virtually immediately and confirmed they were Hornets so he contacted someone he had seen did work with bees and within an hour we had him on site, the first thing we did was to check by opening the side door that we had no Barn Owls up in the roof and luckily nothing was present and after this the Hornets were dispatched. The box is still out of use with a board over the entrance and the side door still undone but the powder used is not harmful to birds so after a couple of days the box and hopefully the Owls will be back in operation. 

This has been another two weeks when time has been at a premium for me and trips out with the camera have had to wait.

I eventually had an Osprey duty on the 16th which was the day before Bird Fair opened at Rutland Water and we were extremely busy with a continuous stream of visitors arriving all afternoon and has we walked back to the car park people were still arriving and walking down the the hide. Most certainly the busiest duty I have ever done and most enjoyable with some super questions being asked

Both the juvenile birds have departed for West Africa, 3AW first and followed by the juvenile male 3AU on Tuesday the 14th.  With the Manton nest being so early the other nest are nothing like so advanced with the juveniles.

So both adults are having a lazy time with 33 catching the odd fish and carrying a few sticks in to the nest for the female to place in the positions she requires in preparation for next year, it is with a mixture of sadness and pleasure at this time of the year that these wonderful birds are leaving to head south to over winter but then they will return for us to watch over them for another season.

Hornets, Barn Owl Box. our garden.
This is the sight I first saw with Hornets entering the box between the baffle and the front. The timber is 20 mm thick so it gives some idea of the size of the Hornet .

How the box will look for a couple of days then the door will be locked and the timber over the entrance removed.

OSPREY DUTY.
16th August.

Grey Heron, Waderscrape Hide.

This heron suddenly appeared and flew into the channel to the front of the hide.

It landed in the side of the channel and kept itself well hidden if the reeds and slowly stalked forward.

Coming closer all the time.

Adult Moorhen with young, Waderscrape Hide.

And this young Moorhen was its proposed target, the Heron returned at least six time during the duty but was seen off by the adults, wonderful to watch but being so busy I managed no images of this.

Juvenile Moorhen, Waderscrape Hide.

This juvenile is still feeding one of the young, we still have four young in the channels so the Heron has still not managed to get a meal.

It appears to be looking far from happy, people in the hide were asking if the could shout at the bird but this obviously could not happen.
 

Female Osprey, Waderscrape Hide.

Sitting on her favourite perch awaiting 33 to bring her a fish during the afternoon. This is where she sat all afternoon other than a fly around the bay twice.

Male Osprey 33/11, Waderscrape Hide.

This bird was absent on my arrival but soon arrived and sat himself on the camera post.

Female {closest} and 33/11, Waderscrape Hide.

As you can see the female is the larger bird of the two.

33 had a quick flight and returned with a stick that he placed on the nest, you can just make out his tail feathers above the nest edge.

Female Osprey, having a fly around Manton Bay.

This is the first time I have seen her fly around the bay, she only normally has flown previously to see away intruder birds.

Lapwing, Tufted Duck Hide.

These are starting to arrive in reasonable numbers.

Kerry Hill Sheep, Lyndon Centre.

This is a breed I have not seen before and was pointed out as a rare breed by one of the lady visitors to the hide so I managed an image on the way back to the car park.

Barn Owl, Eyebrook Reservoir.

I had an evening trip out and finished at Eyebrook as it was getting dark, on getting out the car and visiting the bunker hide this bird flew by, so just a lucky shot.







Thank you for your visit, I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have in the getting of the images.