OUT ON A WINDY AFTERNOON.

We decided to have another trip to the Egleton Reserve after Richards last and very successful visit with the Dragons. So Richard arrived at our house for 13.00 hrs and we got on our way and decided to visit our Little Owl sites on the outward journey but quickly. We visited all out Little Owl sites and saw nothing, but to be fair it had become very windy and did not look good for our Dragonfly hunt at Egleton. We arrived at Egleton at 14.30 hrs and got on our way initially heading for the Woodland Walk, as the weather was sunny but very windy we thought we would get some protection from the wind with the trees. This proved to be the case but some Darters were sitting about but the Hawkers were staying on the wing.

Richard had a hunt around his favourite hedge area whilst I visited Sandpiper Hide on my hunt for the Peregrine Falcon, but again it was AWOL, so I joined up with Richard on the last section of hedge and we then headed for Shoveler Hide. For the first time in a while we saw no Great White Egrets. but a Juvenile Grey Heron sat on the timber frame the GWE like to reside on.

After this we had a steady walk back to the centre and decided to go in the opposite direction and head up towards Wet Meadow to see if this area was being as badly knocked about by the wind. We visited the Dipping Pond and the New Dipping Pond seeing Hawkers at both and flying and doing the normal trick of approaching you just above the water, flying around your legs and then heading away, all we needed was just that second or two when they slowed down that bit, but after about fifteen minutes of this we decided to head down the track to see what was about, as it happened we saw nothing so a bit of a wasted journey, after this we decided to head away and look through the Little Owl Sites and head for our new Barn Owl Site to have tea and keep a look out. We saw a Little Owl at Site No. 9 sat on a fence post but by the time we tried for an image it had gone so we got on our way for the Barnies. Saw no Barn Owls but saw a Tawny Between Little Owl Sites 5 and 6 but by then it was dark and it was really just an outline.

As our visit on Thursday had not produced many usable images I decided on Monday the 3rd of October to have another quick visit to Egleton. The weather was far more suitable for seeing Dragons, very little wind and sunny. Unfortunately I got held up by a visit from a tree surgeon who is going to trim back some of the larger trees to the back of our land, these were initially planted to close together and are fighting for light and growing upwards and not spreading out, so I eventually arrived at Egleton at 14.25 hrs, about an hour later than I was hoping but got immediately underway and headed for the Woodland Walk, here I saw a reasonable number of Darters but the Hawkers were being somewhat elusive, still flying around but not landing and those that had landed I did'nt see until I had disturbed them. I had a quick visit to Sandpiper Hide for the Peregrine, which again was absent. I then headed for Richards Hedge and saw numerous Darters and several Hawkers which seemed extremely wary, I finished up walking about 10 metres from the hedge but still kept disturbing them roosting, eventually I saw a Hawker land and managed some quick images. As a rule as you walk along the hedge you tend to disturb them and they will then return and land again where they had flown from, this is not the case this year, which is something we do not understand. 

     

EGLETON RESERVE.
29th September.

Red Admiral, Woodland Walk.

Such a delightful butterfly. 

Red Admiral, Gate into Shoveler Hide area.

Even though this was the second of these I had seen within a matter of minutes, just couldn't resist getting and image. 

 Same Butterfly, close up of the head.

Common Darter, Female, Woodland Walk. 

Common Darter on fence near Crake Hide. 

Immature Grey Heron, Shoveler Hide.

This bird sat on the top of this roofing. If you look at the image below, you can see the difference in head markings from the adult.  

Adult Grey Heron, Crake Hide. 

Cormorant, Crake Hide.

I put the web cam on at Manton Bay on the Osprey Nest this evening and they are still switched on, and sat on the nest were two Cormorant.

EGLETON RESERVE.

3rd October.

Common Darter, Female, Woodland Walk.

Common Darter, Male, Near Shoveler Hide.

Sat on top of the fence just outside the Hide. 

Comon Darter, Male. Near Crake Hide.

This one with pretty chewed up wings sat on top of a new section of fence near the Hide. 

This one on a fence post on the way back towards Shoveler Hide. This time the wings are perfect. 

Again perfect wings. 

Migrant Hawker, on Richards Hedge.

 Not the best of images, but at least a Hawker at last.

Hover Fly, Syrphus Ribesii.

At the side of the track approaching Shoveler Hide. Seem to be the easiest of the Hover flies to photograph due to the wings. 

White Lipped Snail. 

On the fence outside Shoveler Hide. 

Great White Egret, Shoveler Hide.

This bird stood out in the bay, just managed the one image and then it set off at a fair rate to the right and disappeared behind a reed bed not to be seen again. 

Little Egret, Shoveler Hide.

Grey Heron, Shoveler Hide.

Standing again on one of the platforms the GWE seem to favour.

Little Egret and Shoveler Drake, Crake Hide.

Little Egret feeding standing on the weed and Shoveler feeding in it .





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