IN THE END I JUST HAD TO HAVE ANOTHER VISIT WITH THE OSPREYS.

I initially could not decide where to visit on my trip out, our weather has been so very variable, however the Ospreys won, so I headed for the Lyndon Centre at Rutland even though it was initially very cloudy.

On arriving I had a chat with Rebecca, {the new Tim as she has been called}, she is obviously very keen on the Osprey Project so all the best to the girl.

On arriving in Waderscrape Hide, I found it to be virtually full of people and finished up getting roped in to help with questions from people in the hide which is really what the volunteers are on site for so I could not complain.

After a while some people moved on and things got quieter so I had a chance to try for some images of the birds about. I manged a few and then an even larger contingent arrived, a party of people from Nottingham. I was just talking with them and explaining where the nest was, where the adult birds were, the scopes and other things when all of a sudden, a not large bird flashed by the hide very low, a Merlin, four of us saw the bird but none of us got even a record shot, I think we were all so stunned at seeing what is a very rare bird for us.

Things again settled down and I managed some images then said my good byes to the volunteers on duty and people in the hide, my idea being to have a quick visit to Eyebrook Reservoir to have a look for any Ospreys fishing. I only saw one bird but it was a considerable distance away so I didn't bother even picking the camera up.

During this visit we had eight Ospreys on site, this included two pairs.     

Female Osprey, Waderscrape Hide.

When I first arrived in the hide, the female sat on the 'T' post eating a fish that 33 had brought in earlier, this is her flying close to the water washing her feet.

She then flew round the bay and headed for the nest.

  

To join the Male. 

She then however flew up onto the camera post leaving the Male on the nest. He then departed and returned  after about ten minutes.

Carrying some hay for the nest bowl. 

Sometimes the return can be entertaining if his aim for a landing spot is not that good.

He was then away again leaving the female at the nest. 

Only to return this time with another stick.

This time she had to duck with the approaching stick. Male Ospreys will return with all types of things, the other day on the camera he returned with a Teasel stem with Teasels attached.

Stick in place.

A lady then whispered "somethings moving in the reeds" and this Muntjac Deer made its way into view.

It walked around the edge of the bay and then something disturbed it and it was away. Unfortunately partially obscured by bulrushes.

Great Northern Diver, Waderscrape Hide.

This bird had been reported by the hide for two days but would not come close, checking the distance with a buoy it was near to, it was 520 metres away. 
The two images are really only record shots. 

I am not sure as to whether this is an adult in Winter plumage or a juvenile.

Greylag Geese,  in Field on my walk back to the Centre

About fifty of these birds were in a field on the way back to the centre, I had to find a hole in the hedge so as to be able to see through.

 Blue Tit, Our Garden.

This image shows this little beauty and also that spring has hopefully started with these buds about to burst.

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

A VISIT TO KELHAM BRIDGE AND THEN THE OSPREYS START TO RETURN.

I decided on Tuesday as the sun was shining, to have a visit to my local reserve at Kelham Bridge as people had been seeing some Willow Tit at the first hide. Needless to say I unfortunately did not.

I then carried on to the second hide where nothing much was happening, I saw two Little Grebes, that I personally find to be delightful, always very busy and not easy to get an image from as they appear to be continuously diving. After a short time three Buzzards appeared at a good distance away, I would have probably closer to them at home!!

After this I returned to the first hide for the rest of the afternoon but only the usual birds around the feeders. 

Little Grebe, Second Hide.
This is one of the two birds I could see initially at the far end of the pool, but these both moved slowly my way, eventually at speed, hence the bow wave in the rest of the images, 

The second bird coming into range. 

And then deciding against it and turning around to return whence it came.

Two of the three Buzzards, the third dived away steeply to the right and never reappeared.

This bird was reasonably pale, we seem to get a great variation in colour.

Great Tit, First Hide.


On my return I watched both Great Tit and Blue Tit feeding at the feeders. Only managed to get this image as they were so fast around the tree.

  

Grey Squirrel, First Hide.


Two of these little horrors were scavenging under the feeders with the occasional out break of hostilities between them. I am unfortunately seeing the odd one at home so with us having the Barn Owls, this will have to be moved on.

RUTLAND WATER.

LYNDON RESERVE,

Thursday 15th March.

Osprey monitoring was due to commence on Saturday the 17th of March at 06.00 hrs until the Manton Bay female [Maya] decided to arrive early on the 12th, thereby scuppering all the carefully laid out rota. The male 33/11 then decided to arrive on the 14th late in the afternoon. This is the earliest we have had Ospreys return, the earliest previously was the 17 th.  

So I had a quick visit on Thursday the 15 th and help one of the other volunteers {who was due to be on duty in the centre } at the hide for the afternoon shift. As I got away from home the sky was showing a reasonable amount of brightness and as I travelled  towards Rutland things were not that bad, but about three quarters of the way across it started getting very foggy with the odd spot of rain, not the best for getting any photo's.

I arrived at the Lyndon Centre , had a quick chat with David who was on duty who told me we had both Ospreys at the nest, he had also seen a Water Rail and a fleeting view of a Barn Owl on the far side of Manton Bay, not far from the Osprey Nest.

I booked in with Holly and Anya and then had a quick walk down the reserve with a very quick visit into Tufted Duck hide before arriving at Waderscrape where we have all the monitoring equipment with  the computer and large monitor so we and the public can watch these birds on the screen. It has certainly made life considerably easier when you can look at the screen instead of through the bins to see what food the Ospreys have returned to the nest with.

We had a most enjoyable session with a few hardy visitors due to the early arrival of birds, also with the weather luckily improving as the afternoon progressed from foggy with a little rain eventually getting somewhat brighter then some more rain just as we were leaving the hide.
As they say you can't win them all, but it would be nice to win one.

Cormorant, Tufted Duck Hide.


As the water level in the reservoir is virtually up to the full mark, the islands to the front of the hide are submerged and this bird sits on one of the stumps on the island.

This one appears to be standing on a rock.

Tree decorated with Cormorants.

Adult Male Mute Swan. Waderscrape Hide.

I took this image about mid afternoon just as it started to rain, you can see the spots.

Both Adult Ospreys, Waderscrape Hide.


This image taken when I first arrived, the fog was still reasonably dense so very poor image. The Female is closest and the Male {33/11} is farthest away.

Female after the male had decided to go and sit on a stump farther along the bay.

She then decided to have a fly about, the light was still very poor.
I was having to shoot at ISO 5000. 

Lets have a game of chase the Corvid. 

And she's had enough. 

Settles down for a rest.

Then a quick wash of the feet. 

Then back for a rest on the T post.

Male Osprey, 33/11 Waderscrape Hide.

All the time the female was chasing around the bay, himself sat totally uninterested on this fallen branch farther along the bay. Mind once they have eggs and young let something intrude into the bay, they will wonder as to whats hit them.

Heron, Waderscrape Hide.

This Heron flew by about 150 metres away, it was really other than the joy of the Ospreys return an afternoon with seeing other birds but not getting many images.

Barn Owl, Waderscrape Hide.

This bird had also been seen by the lady on duty in the morning behind the Osprey nest. I spotted it a silly distance away then it flew and sat on this post, on checking it was 650 metres away so not that bad an image for the distance. 

It then flew from the post and looked as if it was going to come that much closer, but this image as it turned away was still in excess of 500 metres away.




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


Unfortunately due to the light {or lack of it } at Rutland the images are not as good as I would have wished.

I think the Ospreys are thinking they should have arrived later with the weather we are experiencing at the moment, very cold and heavy snow.
If I had the choice I would have had remained in West Africa.  

OUT AGAIN IN THE SUN.
THIS CANNOT LAST.

The first images are the remaining images from my trip last week to the Egleton Reserve.

This week I had my normal trip out on Thursday afternoon but I had to visit the Volunteer Centre, which unfortunately took a reasonable chunk out of my time out, it also meant I had to drive straight through to Rutland and miss out the Little Owl sites so as to arrive in time. My thoughts being I would hopefully call by on my homeward journey.

Having eventually managed to leave the centre I headed for Eyebrook Reservoir even though the sun was shining the forecast said we had a reasonable chance of rain so I decided to stay as close as possible to the car, also it was not over warm, that is for us softies.

On arriving I had drive round the outer route through Stockerston and heading towards Horninghold village looking for any Red Kites that were about. I only saw the one and as it would have been a shot virtually straight into the sun, I didn't bother in stopping.

So after this it was a case of a drive around the reservoir to see what was about and also look for anybody I recognised to ask what they had seen. I spent about one hour in the bunker hides and had a reasonable afternoon and then headed back towards home passing through the Little Owl sites where I saw two birds.

As I said above this cannot last, we are at the moment in an awful cold blast and have had several blizzards during the day, As I post this blog we are in the throes of a full blown blizzard.    Oh happy days?????




RUTLAND WATER.
EGLETON RESERVE.
15th February.

Mallard Drake, Grebe Hide, Lagoon 2.

As I have said previously, these birds being so common we tend to ignore them but they as such an underrated duck.

Mallard Drake, Shoveler Hide, Lagoon 3.


This bird was in a small area of water away to the left of the hide.

Snipe, Shoveler Hide, Lagoon 3.

Another gent in the hide, whom I have met on a previous occasion, asked if I had seen the Snipe amongst the reeds  on the island. my reply being I could not even see the island where I was sitting, so he said I'm away if you want to come in my place you are welcome, so this I did, but the Snipe kept themselves well hidden and took me so time to finish with some images.

You can just make out the two birds in this image, you can see the problem with reeds and grass.

Back to the single bird, after this I put my attention onto other things.

Northern Pintail Drake, Shoveler Hide, Lagoon 3.

Several birds were visible from the hide but mostly a long way out on the lagoon. Eventually some birds came that much closer so I had a try for them. Still about 70 metres away.

  

Whilst feeding they appear to use the tail as a counterbalance.

This bird then swam across the front of the hide in the main body of the lagoon with slightly rougher water.

 Pair of Pintail Ducks, Shoveler Hide, Lagoon 3.

This pair then swam in closer.

Duck decides to have a feed whilst the Drake looks on.

Another bird that is on my favourite list for Ducks.

After this they all flew out into the main body of the Lagoon, even farther than when I first saw them.

Wigeon, Shoveler Hide, Lagoon 3.


This group of Wigeon then flew into an area about 150 metres from the hide.

This bird split away from the group and came that bit closer.

Shelduck Drake, Shoveler Hide, Lagoon 3.


My luck was staying with me as these birds flew in and then swam past the hide, not over close but close enough for some reasonable images, I wish the Smew had been as close.

What a beautiful head.

Second Drake.

Single Duck swimming as fast as possible to catch up with the two Drakes.

Shoveler Duck, Osprey Hide, Lagoon 2.

This pair were feeding in a small bay away from the main body of the Lagoon.

Shoveler Drake, Osprey Hide.

EYEBROOK RESERVOIR.
22nd February.

Goldeneye Drake, Lower Bunker Hide.

This bird was a good distance away from the hide but also upon seeing me it decided to go farther away still. I could see another three but they were even farther away.

Greylag Goose, Lower Bunker Hide.


A goose I have always thought to be a delight., they descend from the Asian Swan Goose.

Great Black-backed gull, Lower Bunker Hide.

This huge gull is a formidable predator, regular victims include other seabirds as well as rabbits and rodents, and with a wingspan of almost 1.6 metres, it has very little that is going to bother it.
This bird sat well out in the reservoir and only decided to fly when I went to take an image.
They have no hesitation in attacking the Osprey in the summer months with the intention of stealing the fish.

Wigeon, Higher Bunker Hide.


This is a problem with Eyebrook, the ducks tend to swim close to the shore and invariably get partially obscured by reeds.

Robin, Stoke Dry.


Stood chatting to a pal when this bird appeared, this is a gent I used to see when I visited the Short Eared Owls when I fed the Robins with Hobnob biscuits, in fact he was the gent who took the image for me of the Robin feeding on Hobnob biscuits in my hand, so his first comment was "give him a Hobnob".

Buzzard Between Little Owl Sites Nos. 1 and ; 2.

Taking my return trip through the Little Owl Sites I came across this bird sat in a tree, it stopped in place whilst I stopped the car and got this image and then was gone.

Little Owl Site No. 2.


I decided before arriving at the site if I could see a bird in the hole I would drive by and turn around as I could then get an image from the drivers side of the car. Drove by and could see nothing but turned around, returned and sat up in the tree not bothered by me at all was this beauty.

Little Owls Site No. 6.


As I approached this site I could see this bird enjoying the last of the suns rays. I'm sure as soon as the sun goes down this bird goes into the barn to get the warmth from the cattle.


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




BARN OWL UPDATE.

I am still finding pellets under the large box but even with the cameras on I cannot see any birds, in this box the adults tend to roost either on the top of the entrance baffle or a roof joist.
If the weather is as the forecast, I will put some food out every evening.