FIRST OSPREY CHICK HATCHES.

After the long wait, the first chick hatched last night {Friday} at the Manton Bay Nest, it seems to drag on for such a long time but that's nature. 

Update from last night a second chick has hatched.

I had two trips out again this week, one on the Sunday evening when I only managed to see two Little Owls, One each at Sites 1 & 5. The reason for my visit out was to stake out a Barn Owl Site but I saw nothing at all, but you cannot win them all.

I then had the usual afternoon out on Thursday but unfortunately Richard was busy so I had a singleton to Rutland Water, owling on both the outbound and return journeys. I saw one Little Owl on the outward trip at Site 5 and two on my return trip at Sites 4 and 1. Its that time of the year when the birds are feeding either just the female sitting on eggs or the female and young, looking back it has been the same in other years.

On arrival at Rutland Water and going into the Lyndon Centre, I had a quick chat withe gent on duty and Kayleigh the young girl who is part of the Osprey team and of course the question as to when will the first egg hatch, Kayleigh said it would be more than likely to be no later than Sunday so she was not far out. I then had a steady walk along the path that borders the reservoir keeping an eye out for any Otters and calling in at both Deep Water Hide and Tufted Duck Hide, spending more time at Tufted Duck as that is where the Otters were seen.

After that I went straight to Shallow Water Hide to try for some more Osprey images and see what else turned up. It was an entertaining 45 minutes with so many swans having  arrived in the week and a large amount of Common Terns.

I then visited Waderscrape Hide for a chat with Barry, another of the volunteers and a lovely man who told me he and his wife had been in Scotland the previous week and  they had seen sleet and snow, and then had a steady walk back to the car park and set off on the return journey and hopefully some serious owling. The return journey happened as planned but the owling was not good with only the two birds seen.

It was a wonderful day to be out at Rutland Water with the sun and wild flowers.

Mallard Duckling, Tufted Duck Hide.

What a difference a week makes, one of the eleven taken last week , my they have grown.and were all very busy feeding with mum. 

Mute Swans, Manton Bay.

During the last week these younger swans have arrived in force. 

Shallow Water Hide, Manton Bay Nest with female on Incubation Duties.


Male has had a nest building week, so even though the female was on the nest incubating she was out of site in the nest scrape.

Shallow Water Hide, Male Osprey returning after fishing trip.

On first arriving in the hide a couple we see on a regular basis, very keen photographers, were in the hide and told me 33 was away fishing. Suddenly "he is coming back" was whispered by Mon, and sure enough flying up to the T post was the male with a good sized roach.

He had obviously only just caught the fish as you can still see water dripping from the tail. 

The female stood up to move the eggs about and was continually food begging so eventually all changed and 33 took a turn at incubating, she had the fish. 

Female with the fish on the T post. 

Male Osprey, taking a turn at incubating whilst female eats a fish on the T post.  

Female feeding first chick. 

Second chick , first is already up and ready for more food.

Common Tern, Shallow Water Hide.


A sudden commotion outside the hide as the tern decide a bath, like the water droplets caught mid air.

Head down and under water. 

Caught just as it landed on the fence post.

Pied Wagtail, Shallow Water Hide.

On the same section of fence as the Tern. 

Great Crested Grebe, Shallow Water Hide.

I initially thought the bird was sitting on a nest but when working on the image it is too low down to the water.

The Banks of the Reservoir are covered in wild flowers. It has been a lovely place to be today.

Little Owl Site No. 4.

Bird sat on the fence adjacent to the nest tree, we have still only seen a single bird at this site but we could have missed one so they could be breeding hopefully. 

Little Owl Site No. 1.

I appear to see the bird on every trip out on my own, when Richard is with me the bird goes A.W.O.L.??



Thank you for your visit, I hope you have enjoyed the images as much as I did in getting them. Please feel free to leave a comment, I will reply to them all.