ANOTHER VISIT OUT IN DULL WEATHER, PLUS ANOTHER LOOK AT THE WAXWINGS.

Richard and myself had our usual Thursday visit out even though the forecast was not very good, as he had missed the previous week due to the Dentist visit and the removal of a tooth he was really wanting to see some Little Owls.

Luckily it was Richards turn to drive as the car windscreen developed a crack in the morning and as usual he arrived at 11.30 hrs and we got on our way heading in the Rutland direction and the usual route. We decided that because of the forecast and Richard still suffering from his tooth extraction not to get over far from the car, and luckily we did that as it poured with rain as the afternoon went on.

We drove through the usual route and saw a bird in the coppiced tree at Site 8, and then had our lunch at site 9 where we saw a bird in the nest hole and even managed a few seconds of sun, that was a real shock.

After this we carried on through the remaining sites but saw no more Owls so we headed for Eyebrook Reservoir to have some time waiting for the Kingfisher. We arrived at the bridge and parked the car and immediately saw how coloured the water in the inlet was from all the rain we have unfortunately had. But we stuck it out for some time and eventually saw the kingfisher fly down stream and carry on down into the reservoir to find some clear water to fish in.

So after a while we drove down the reservoir to an area where I had found a bird hide the previous week.  Last week was the first time I had driven in the opposite direction round the water and saw the hide, we actually nearly drove past it, its not over easy to see and after the visit it most certainly is not of the quality of the Rutland Hides but it will keep you dry and warm.

As we came out of the hide it actually started to rain so we took a steady drive about and then slowly headed for home passing the Little Owl sites again for another check . 

LITTLE OWLS.

17 th February.

Little Owl Site No. 8.

This bird took a bit of finding being tucked in amongst the branches, but after a little manoeuvring of the car we managed some images. 

Same bird but on the return journey.

Little Owl Site No. 9.

Stopped for our lunch and it came as a shock when the sun came out so I quickly grabbed an image.  

Kestrel Near Eyebrook.

Bird spotted by Richard who got the car at an angle so I could get this image. The light was pretty dire by this time. 

Robin, by Eyebrook Hide.

We had just got back into the car and it had also started raining when this Robin landed on Richards side of the car, then lucky for me it flew across to the far side of the road and that bit farther away, it would have been much too close on Richards side for it to focus, they are such delightful and nosy little birds.

RED KITE.
LITTLE OWLS SITE No. 9.
17 th February.

As we sat and ate our lunch this solitary bird flew across the field and another two were in the distance. 

The area we had found at Eyebrook with all the Red Kites appears to have gone cold so it was good to see this bird.

BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS.

GLENFIELD.

14th February.

The forecast was for some sun after lunch and as the site was close to home, after a quick sandwich I headed for the birds but unfortunately the sun did not last, story of our lives lately.

We had two flocks, one of about 90 birds that were roosting in the tops of some Poplar trees about 400 metres  away and another of about 70 birds which were moving between the apple tree and some silver birch trees. 

I apologise for the inclusion of these images but we have an element of self indulgence I'm afraid as I think these birds are absolutely stunning.

Having looked on the LROS site this evening, we appear to have Waxwings at numerous sites all over the County.

Getting stuck into an apple but with the shadow of the branch above on its head. 

Several Silver Birch trees are down the side of the road and it appeared that when the birds had fed, they flew into these trees to digest the food a little before returning for some more. 

This bird sat in the top of one of the Silver Birch trees.

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

LETS TRY A FEW APPLES??

Richard and myself had planned a visit out last Thursday the 9th of February, however Richard finished having to cancel due to a visit to the dentist and so I had a short trip out and saw very little, it was a dull misty and very cold day and I saw only a single Little Owl, all the rest were keeping themselves well tucked away out of the weather. So when on Monday the 13th the sun decided to shine and Waxwings were reported in a nearby village, I made my way to visit straight after lunch. On arriving at Glenfield I searched around the reported area where the birds had been seen and eventually after about twenty minutes I located about fifty of these delightful birds. I then had another visit on the 14th as 150 of the birds had been reported, in fact on site we had approximately 70 birds in the tree after the apples and a second flock of 90 birds that were very mobile all the time I was about.

When checking the distance on Google Earth, the tree was a Drive and three gardens away, just over 30 metres from the entrance we were taking the images from. For the distance I was shooting over I am reasonably happy with the results. 

I somehow had unfortunately put the camera on to JPEG images so I have not been able to do a great deal with them while processing, not sure as to how this happened but must keep a check in future. 

BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS.

Glenfield, 13th February.

A slightly cropped image from the above header showing the concentration of birds we had in the apple tree. 

Cropped a considerable amount more showing six birds.

What are you doing with my apples.??? 

As you can tell I was spoilt for choice, I had birds everywhere. 

They would come to the tree and have a fill of apples and then fly to two Silver Birch trees on the verge outside to have a rest and digest the food. 

A bit of a tussle, but why? plenty of apples all over the tree.

They really are a beautiful bird.

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

I have had another visit and this time checked the camera so these are shot in RAW.

TRYING FOR A POST,

BUT THE WEATHER'S WINNING.

We have had some abysmal weather to say the least, Richard and myself managed to get out last on the 26th of January and then the temperature was hovering around - 2 and -3 degrees C and when you stood in the wind it was like a knife. We only managed a few images on the visit out and they were of hardy Little Owls that had tucked themselves out of the wind. The following Thursday the forecast was poor so we opted to miss as it was going to rain all day and Richard was giving a talk at the bird club on the Friday so that was a non starter.

The next reasonable day was the Sunday the 5th of February,  but then by the time I managed to get out the sun had disappeared and the light was not good at all but I headed for Hinckley as some Waxwings had been reported in the Rugby Road, Brookside area. On arrival I had a drive around the area where the birds had been seen and eventually saw a gent with a pair of bins around his neck doing the same. We had a quick chat and he had seen some flying but that was all, so after about another 20 minutes I headed back to where I had entered the area and on the right I could see two gents with binoculars looking into a tree, so I found somewhere to park and walked round to the site. 

At last I had tracked some down but only five that sat in the tree feeding, these birds were not as confident as the birds at Loughborough and the gents who were on site had been watching birds in this area for several days. They said you could not get very close,in fact we were over double the distance away from what we had achieved at Loughborough.

I had not been on site very long and four of the birds flew away so I emained a little longer with the solitary bird on the chance the others may return, but after about another 20 minutes the last bird flew away so I headed for home.

I then went out this afternoon { 7th February } as the sun was shining and headed for the Lyndon Centre at Rutland Water. I visited Teal Hide and not much was about so I headed back towards the car park to walk down to Waderscrape Hide When I met up with a gent walking back up from the hides, this is a gent we see reasonably regularly at Rutland. and he said it was not worth walking down as he had seen very little.

So I headed for Eyebrook Reservoir and to the area where we see the Red Kites only to pull into the gateway and get the car hopelessly stuck in the mud, it took me 45 minutes to get the car out, this was being watched by three Kites and when I eventually got back onto the road they flew away. 

LITTLE OWLS 

26th January.

Little Owl Site No. 8.

This bird we are finding in a pollarded tree and was very difficult to get an image due to it having tucked itself away out the cold wind.

Little Owl Site No. 5.

Again this bird had got itself out of the wind in the tangle of some old ivy. 

WAXWINGS, HINCKLEY.
5th February.

On arrival I found five birds in the tree, non of which it was possible to get a clear shot at, with either berries or twigs in the way. These birds I was told would not tolerate you any closer than about thirty metres. 

Again not a clear shot. 

Slightly better, all the birds appeared to be females. 

 They just would not go onto the end of a branch for a clear view.

 This is when the four flew away and left the single bird.

At last getting better but not totally clear.

Tucked itself away again. 

And then returned to exactly the same branch at the top of the tree.

Just managed this image, and then she was away.


Sorry for the lack of posts but the weather has been a real nuisance, we are never satisfied with the light, its either too bright or dull.??

Thank you for your visit, I hope you have enjoyed the images as much as I did in the getting of them, even though it has been a struggle weather wise.