ANOTHER TRIP TO KETTON AND A FEW OTHERS??

We decided as having no Osprey duty this week to have another visit to Ketton Reserve for another afternoon with some Butterflies, Richard arrived at 15.00 hrs and we got on our way and made a direct route straight to Ketton as we intended to go through our Little Owl sites on our return journey. We arrived at approximately 16.20 hrs and commenced our walk about. We decided to take a different route to our last visit but for a start went into the small quarry area where we saw some of the Orchids but these are all over. We then started our new route and very soon were seeing lots of Butterflies but none seemed willing to land, so after some following and slow advancing towards them we eventually managed to get an image of a Green Fritillary, this even though taken at a reasonable distance appeared to disturb the Butterfly, whether this was the noise of the shutter or almost a shock wave of noise, the weather was very humid, and we found for all the time we were on site this happened. Richard managed to see a Lizard sat on the end of a log and called me up to see it, even that disappeared by the time I arrived, it was going to be one of those afternoons. So after an hour or so we decided to give it best and head for Eyebrook Reservoir to look out for the Shortie or an Osprey and most importantly have our tea.

After our teas we got on our way around the Little Owl Sites hoping to see some of birds. We firstly visited Site no 12 and saw a bird firstly sat on the Barn Roof, these birds are extremely nervous even though the nest site is adjacent to two public footpaths, so when we stopped to try for some record shots the bird was away into an adjacent tree but we had at least seen a bird. We then followed on through our sites and at Site 9, the bird appear to have moved some 40 metres down the hill into an old dead tree and Richard spotted two birds going in an out a hole towards the top. One flew down onto a fence post and from the image looks like an advanced juvenile. I had visited the site on the previous Monday evening and could hear two birds calling but never once saw them. These were the only two birds we saw but to be fair it was getting late and the light was going fast.

KETTON RESERVE.
20th July.

Comma Butterfly .

This was one of the few Butterflies we managed to get reasonably close without it flying away as soon as the shutter fired.

Green Fritillary Butterfly.

Past its best with the wings but the only one I managed to get a little closer to. 

Head shot of the same Butterfly, love the eye.

EYEBROOK RESERVOIR.

20th July. 

Banded Demoiselle  Female.

This spotted by Richard sitting on the reed below the bridge at the inflow and was a good 6 metres away so not bad for a record shot.

RUTLAND WATER.

EGLETON RESERVE.

WOODLAND WALK.

24th July.

Common Blue Damselfly, Male.

Taken on the walk from the Centre to the Woodland Walk. 

Black Tailed Skimmer Dragonfly.

Again on the path walking down the site. 

Ruddy Darter. Woodland Walk. 

Comma Butterfly, Woodland Walk.

LITTLE OWLS.

Little Owl Site No. 9.
20th July .

This we thought to be an advanced juvenile, we saw two birds in the tree farther down the field than the previous nest tree, the other bird had disappeared into a hole in the tree.

Have had a comment from Paul who says the bird is a adult.

Sitting on a post this time up hill from the previous Nest Tree.
24th July.

This bird is our previous Mr T with the wide stripe on its chest.

KESTRELS.

OUR GARDEN. 

Taken Over the Week.

The three all together, least advanced to the right,.
How these birds have really come on during this week.

We've had lots of wing flapping and eventually flying. 

Not all with text book landings.??? 

The bird to the front ducks as the second bird does a far from perfect landing behind it. 

Who moved the roof, another not so good attempt.

Getting better.

Not sure as to what they were after but all three flew onto the ground and completely ignored me snapping away. 

Could not get all three together on the floor but managed these two. 

And managed this one of a perfect take off.

All three of the young are becoming very adapt at flying and are up and down our garden and a little farther at times, but only seem to land on the ground of an evening.

Unknown Wild Flower from three weeks ago Blog.

Thanks to Margaret who has found the flower to be "Viper's Bugloss".



Thank you for your visit, I hope you have enjoyed these images as much as I did in getting them.