OUT ON A SINGLETON.

As Richard had still got his Canadian friends staying with him and they were going elsewhere, I had a single visit to Rutland Water to have some time {hopefully after last week} with some Little Owls and also pull in some Dragonflies and finally a visit with the Ospreys.

Having left home at about 14.00 hrs I set on my normal route and headed for our first Little Owl Site, no Little Owl evident, I thought here we go again??. Onto Site 2 and low and behold sat well up in the tree was an adult taking in the sun. I then passed Sites 4 & 5  with no birds showing but then at Site 6 I eventually spotted a bird sat in the guttering, this bird had me spotted before I saw him. I then visited Sites 7, 9 & 10 but nothing showing so onto Site 12 and sitting on the barn door was a Little Owl, I was already three fold on last weeks numbers, sorry Arthur {Jonah} I don't blame you for last week numbers.

I then headed for a quick visit to the Egleton Reserve and hopefully some Dragonflies, saw good numbers of Southern, Brown and Common Hawkers but would they land, I was up and down the usual track we see them on numerous times and eventually gave up, and fed up as they were so evasive.

So quickly back to the car park and away to the Lyndon Reserve, on arrival I had my usual chat with Paul who told me they had been seeing a Kingfisher from Tufted Duck Hide on a regular basis fishing, must have a nest nearby with so many visits, so with this advice I set on my way straight to the Hide, but after about twenty minutes and no signs, I then made my way to Shallow Water Hide as Paul had also told me that John Wright was in the hide getting some images of the Ospreys. I had about 30 minutes chatting with John in the hide as no one else was resident, mostly on how quick the level of the reservoir has fallen, I would estimate the level has gone down a good 1.2 metres, this over 2500 acres is a lot of water, more than someone leaving the tap running!!. John then said he was away as the young were doing nothing but was sure as soon as he left something would happen, so he packed all his kit away and left the hide. Within seconds the adult female left the camera post and headed towards Waderscrape Hide, gaining height and I thought initially she was just going for a wing stretch, but then she suddenly turned and then I saw eventually she had gone up to intercept an intruder Osprey. She gave chase with great gusto and eventually when the chase was almost over the male 33/11 joined in. {I'm sure he was asleep on the T post as he is usually the first airborne to intercept intruders}. After that he returned to his T post, the young staid in place and the female went on a fly about  disappearing over Lax Hill, so with this I made my way to Waderscrape Hide to say hello to the volunteers on duty, and then head for the car park as time was passing and my tummy was rumbling for some tea as it was about 18.30 hrs.

I had a bit of tea in the car park and then did our normal route back calling at all the Little Owl Site again. I stopped at Little Owl Sites 9 & 10 for the remainder of my tea, and then resumed our normal route and eventually seeing another owls at Site No. 4, so a great improvement on last weeks tally.

I also had a visit to my farmer friends at Little Owl Site No. 13 to try to get an image of the elusive bird I keep seeing farther up the drive from them, I had no luck again but when Margaret drove home the other evening, a little owl sat on the roof looking at her, so still a chance of an image from what will be Little Owl Site No. 19. 

For those of you that had either followed my blog from early days or have looked back at the posts, my post of the 18th July 2014 was " Barn Owls From 2003 to the Present Day. These are barn owls we are lucky to have on our land. I have been asked by a friend as to why I have not made any more posts on these birds, I told him we didn't want the birds disturbing, his reply was only your pals are aware of who you are and to where you live, no one else would find the birds and knowing you they would leave very quickly. So this week I have a couple of sessions trying to get images of the birds, I set up my tripod, mounted the camera, and then found my super electronic remote button that fitted the D 7100 doesn't fit my new camera, another has been duly ordered but for these initial shots it would have to be hand held and hope for the best???. 

Egleton Reserve.

Common Darter Dragonfly.

One of the few that landed for anytime, so managed a few images.

Same dragonfly, different angle. 

Marmalade Hoverfly, Episyrphus Balteatus.

Pair of hoverflies sat on a teasel.

Managed to catch an image as one approached the teasel. 

Immature Southern Hawker Dragonfly.

One that landed and staid still for me, not for that long however. Was disturbed by another flying by.

Side view before it departed .

Gatekeeper Butterfly. 

We are seeing large numbers of Butterflies at Rutland this year which is wonderful news. 

Large White Butterfly.

Again seen in reasonable numbers, this one a bit disheveled on the lower section of the wing.  

Hoverfly, Syrphus Ribesii.

Hoverflies are such busy flies, they never seem to stop.

Lyndon Reserve.

Manton Bay Ospreys.

Female on camera perch and Juvenile S3 on nest.

This is the scene that greeted me on arrival at Shallow Water Hide, and to be truthful how it was until John Wright left the hide. 

Juveniles S1 & S2 on T post adjacent to the nest. 

Male Osprey 33/11 on far T post, after this I'm sure he went to sleep. 

Female leaves the camera perch and heads towards Waderscrape Hide. 

Still heading towards Waderscrape and gaining height. 

She then turned round and headed away from the hide and only at this point in time did I see the intruder Osprey.  

Manton Bay female chasing intruder, but where is the male who normally is very quick to be up and onto the chase. 

At last 33/11 is on the case, as I said previously I'm sure he was asleep on the T post and eventually awoke and joined in the fun. 

Black Tailed Godwit, Shallow Water Hide.

With the water level being so low, these birds are a considerable distance away, if the water keeps dropping at the rate it is, the Osprey nest will be high and dry.

Heron, Shallow Water Hide.

A bird I always like getting an image from, they always look a little prehistoric.

Little Owls.

Little Owl Site No. 2 .

Single bird sat up high in the tree, took a while to find being so high. Only have seen a juvenile here the once on the 25th of June.

Little Owl Site No. 6.

 Again took a while to find the bird, in a place we have never seen a bird in. He had me spotted however.

Little Owl Site No. 12.

Saw the bird sat on the barn door as I drove by so stopped and got a quick image. Richard had seen a juvenile here last week but none seen by me.

Add


Little Owl Site No. 4.

Bird sat in its normal spot taking in the last rays of the sun, taken at 20.00 hrs.

Our Barn Owls.

An image taken at 22.00 hrs, on Wednesday 29th July, as said above it was only after I had set everything up that I found my remote button would not work on the new camera so back to hand holding the camera. Image taken at ISO 51200 so hence the poor quality, but you can see its a barn owl. This is the female the male is in the large box. We had the cameras in the boxes on earlier in the day and the male was in the large box and the female in the smaller box. 


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 answer them all.