OUT WITH A SNEEZE ON MY OWN.

Due to having a rotten cold I decided to cancel my trip out with Richard on Thursday not wanting to give him the dreaded cold.

I decided after lunch on Thursday to go out and have a bit of a walk, get some fresh air and do a bit of birding. So putting my kit in the car and plenty of tissues in my pockets, I set off for Attenborough Nature Reserve, a site I had not visited previously. Upon arriving the car park was bulging which I thought as being a positive sign, {wrong}. 

I paid my car park dues and looked at the site map and the list of birds present, two being listed as being Bittern and Cetti's Warbler. The warbler being apparently a bird that is very difficult to see.

So I studied the map and suddenly it dawned on me it was back to front. I stood with the Visitor Centre to my right and on the map it was on my left. I walked to the visitor centre to see the people on duty and ask where the best areas to go and visit but the only people on duty worked in the shop and could only offer cups of tea or bacon butties. So I set off on what I thought was the correct path and hoped for the best. 

It turned out that all the cars were for walkers with prams and dogs, I was the only person I saw with binoculars and a camera. Having walked for a fair while and stopping at several hides and seeing very little I decided to try elsewhere.

I took a few images and have picked a few to add below.

End of week report "must try harder next week boy".

Kestrel Our Garden.

This bird on a regular basis sits on this support post to the owl box to keep out of the rain. 

The Barn Owls are however in the larger box and don't appear to object. We have never seen the Kestrel attempt to enter either boxes.

It also sits on a neighbours television aerial watching our bird feeders.

Attenborough Nature Reserve.

Tufted Duck {Drake}
 on Coneries Pond.

Attenborough Nature Reserve.

Lapwings on Clifton Pond.

Attenborough Nature Reserve. 

Visited Kingfisher Hide on Clifton Pond and saw bird feeders to my left. Opened the window so I could look down and take images only to see these horrible creatures picking up all the dropped bits from the feeders. The stump you can see extends up about one and a half metres with a tee piece on top with the bird feeders hung on.

I left the hide post haste.

Swithland Reservoir.

Pair of Great Crested Grebes, how drab they look in the winter feathers. In comparison to below.

Rutland Water, Shallow Water Hide.

Common but very beautiful bird, one on the nest and other on guard.

Little Owl Site No. 13.

Had a visit to see my farmer friend and his wife and of course couldn't resist a visit down to the barn to see if his little owls were about. Saw two but only managed an image of one. As we entered we saw a Little Owl run down the concrete beam at the far end and disappear outside. So walked further into the barn and sure enough sat above the entrance was this little one, sitting very patiently as I sorted out ISO numbers etc. Took this image and looked outside only to see the other Little Owl fly into an adjoining barn so we left him in peace.


Sorry its a much shorter post than normal but lets hope for better weather and health this week.