OUT AT LAST!!!!!

At last Richard and myself have managed an afternoon out, it was similar to being released from prison {not that I have ever encountered this}. Don't get me wrong I have been getting out in my hide in the garden and monitoring the Barn Owls and keeping an eye on the Owlets  to see how they were advancing, must admit the growth has been tremendous. I was out last night {3rd of July} and the last images are from this outing and have they grown, we are only seeing two in the entrance to the box but we are seeing the third Owlet that is still white and fluffy on the cameras in the box but time wise this bird could be twelve days behind the first to hatch.

Richard phoned and asked if I wanted to go out on the Thursday but the forecast was not good for either Thursday or Friday so we opted for Saturday. He then asked had I seen the reports of  Bee-Eaters at East Leeke {a village not that far from us and over the County border in Nottinghamshire}. So Richard arrived and we set on our way in our car to find these birds, we arrived after about half an hours driving and found the site had been very well organised by Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, with a car parking area in a field to keep cars away from the main road, so we parked up, paid our money and got under way for a bit of a walk down the site. We arrived at the viewing area and being a Saturday we had a reasonable number of people around us. The birds were showing very well but were a considerable distance away. We however managed some mixed images, these are not like getting images of the Ospreys over long distances, they are not very big birds so I apologise  for the quality, even using a 600 mm lens I just could not manage any decent images, but it was wonderful to see these very rare {for us} birds locally. I should have taken my tripod.

After this we made our way through our Little Owl Sites and Richard managed to see on bird at Site 8 but other than this bird we saw no more. We then headed for Eyebrook Reservoir and stopped at Launde Abbey on our way through where we saw some Dragonflies but I had my large lens on the camera so it made it somewhat difficult due to the weight of the lens. We arrived at Eyebrook in time for tea, saw no Ospreys but managed an image of a Banded Demoiselle at the entrance bridge.

I am going to take a break and finish the post tomorrow as I am going out in the hide.

European Bee-Eater {Merops apiaster}, East Leeke.

Again sorry for the quality, only really record images but such delightful birds.

They were reasonably active and one appeared to return with a Dragonfly.

Juvenile Red Legged Partridge. Nr one of our lost Little Owls Sites.

Sat by the side of the track we drove down and seemed sure we could not see it!! 

Pied Wagtail, Launde Abbey.

We were watching Dragonflies at the time and this Wagtail decided to have a bath. 

Banded Demoiselle, Entrance Bridge, Eyebrook Reservoir.

Reasonably pleased with this image as taken hand held with a 600 mm lens.  had to move back as the lens would not focus due to me being close.

UP DATE ON OUR BARN OWLS.

Male Barn Owl, quick shake.

He is such a stunning bird, this image was taken after 22.00 hrs so very lucky to get anything. 

Owlet in box Entrance.

This was the first time of seeing one of the owlets showing in the entrance waiting to be fed by the adults. {29th of June}  

Owlet in Entrance

In a short time they have become Barn Owls, you can still see the downy feathers. {4th of July}

Two showing, and in those few days they have really come on. 

Female Barn Owl taken just after 22.30 hrs at ISO 12800, she had just given a mouse to one of the young , they are feeding themselves so its a quick turn round and she is away.



Thank you for your visit, I hope you have enjoyed the images as much as I have in getting them. I am feeling much better and thank you to you all that have been concerned.