YET ANOTHER LITTLE OWL SITE RETURNS AND THEN ONTO RUTLAND AND EYEBROOK RESERVOIRS.

Having struggled as to decide which day between Thursday and Friday to have my birding trip out, I eventually decided on Thursday as it was likely from the forecast we would have snow on the Friday and a bit of cloud on Thursday, WRONG ON BOTH COUNTS !!!!.

So I had my afternoon out struggling with the light or lack of it should I say. I took my normal route through the Little Owl sites and to my delight I found a Little Owl in the nest hole at Site 2, I have not seen a bird at this site for a considerable time. This was unfortunately the only bird I saw but I have seen birds at 7 sites over the last few weeks so things are looking considerably better.

After this I made my way through to the Lyndon Centre at Rutland Water as a pair of Goosanders had been reported, but unfortunately by the time I arrived they had decided to go else where on the reserve. I saw a few Goldeneye but a silly distance away and some Little Grebes, again a good distance away so after a few images I got on my way to Eyebrook Reservoir, not very hopeful of any decent images with the light as it was.   

Little Owl Site No. 2.

It was a wonderful to drive down the road and see this bird  in the front of the nest hole, this was my first attempt at an image but I was shooting through the roadside hedge. , but I had to get a record shot in come what may. So I drove down the road and turned round.

And managed to get this image from the verge on the far side of the road shooting above the hedge.

LYNDON CENTRE.

RUTLAND WATER.

I only spent about 30 minutes in Teal Hide and as not much was showing and to as how the light was I headed over to Eyebrook Reservoir.

Little Grebe, Teal Hide.

I seemed to have a similar effect on these birds as last week, as soon as I focused on a bird, it would dive.

Again the same effect, these birds were about 60 metres from the hide but at least this week the waves had diminished. 

EYEBROOK RESERVOIR.

I arrived to see a very dull and dismal scene, everything looked grey and most uninviting but you have to make the best of what you've got, which unfortunately turned out to be very little.

  

Cormorant, Between the Reservoir and Stockerstone Village.


This bird sat towards the top of a tree about 50 metres from the road. Very close to the branch I got the image of the Kestrel sitting on last week.
Amazing to see the webbed feet wrapped around the branch.

Red Kite, Near to the Dam.

This bird suddenly appeared being chased by a Corvid, I took about a dozen images at ISO 3000 but these were the only two that were anything like reasonable.

Adult Male Red-legged Partridge, Lower Bunker Hide.

I spent a short time in this hide but the were the only birds worth getting an image from, still working at an ISO of 3000. The light was rubbish, and that's being polite.




I hope you have enjoyed your visit as much as I did in the getting of the images, even if this week it was so difficult with the light situation.

News on our Barn Owls, I found some new pellets under the large box, so as to whether we have two birds back or still the one youngster from last year I'm not sure.
Once this rain has stopped I will get some images of the pellets and put the cameras on in the boxes so find out as to what is going on.