A VISIT TO EYEBROOK AND AN OSPREY DUTY.

With one thing or another I have not managed to get out as much as I would have liked but that could not be helped. Also the hot weather has not helped with even the Ospreys tending to just sit about in the shade trying to keep cool, which is what they do in West Africa.

EYEBROOK RESERVOIR.

22nd July.

I decided to take a pack up tea and arrived at the Reservoir for about 18.45 and settled immediately to have my tea after putting the camera onto the tripod.

After a few minutes I saw an Osprey but on the other side of the reservoir so I carried on with my tea, it was still very warm and not much was moving then the Greylag Geese decided to fly into the field behind me as the combine harvester had just driven past me or should I say squeezed, they are such large machines these days,

I eventually had an Osprey visit but by then the light was failing and we had a red tinge to the sky and the underside of his wings, its amazing how already the nights are pulling in.

  

Greylag Geese, Opposite Stoke Dry.

These birds were leaving the reservoir to go into the recently combined fields to see what grain was left behind for them to feed on.

   

Most of the time they flew over they were excessively noisy.

Greater Black-backed Gull, Opposite Stoke Dry.

Several of these large gulls were evident around the reservoir but this was the only one that came reasonably close to me.

Male Osprey 03/09, Opposite Stoke Dry.

By the time he arrived it was considerably darker than the image indicates. The red under his wing was the reflection of the sky from the water. It was also a very long shot at about 250 metres.

RUTLAND WATER AND OSPREY DUTY.

2nd August.

It seems at the moment that when I have an Osprey duty, the mercury in the thermometers goes racing up the tube and we had another very hot afternoon cooking in Waderscrape  Hide, 29 deg outside and up towards the mid 30's inside.

I had thought as it was so warm we would have a quiet afternoon but this was not the case at all with people arriving all afternoon dripping with sweat but keen to see the Osprey.

Upon starting the duty we were told by the people from the morning shift, that at 09.40 the young male 3AU had circled up into the sky and looked as if he was getting underway to to follow his sister 3AW who started her migration about 9 days previous. So we were only able to point out the female who sat on the T post adjacent to the nest and the male 33/11 who had tucked himself inside one of the Poplar tees opposite and even with the scopes was very difficult to point out to the visitors.

Suddenly at 15.45 hrs both adult birds flew up into the sky to chase away an intruder which turned out to be 3AU. He had a quick fly around the bay and then for a short time sat on the nest and was continuously calling and food begging. So 33 decided it was time to go and had not returned when we finished duty.

  

Greylag Goose, Tufted Duck Hide.

The water level has dropped in the reservoir since the last duty and this goose sits on an island that is increasing in size as the water drops.

Adult Female Osprey, Waderscrape Hide.

This is where she sat all afternoon until the young male returned .

Juvenile Male 3AU, Waderscrape Hide.

Upon his return he had a quick fly around on the far side of the bay before landing on the nest.

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3AU and adult Female on camera Post.

After landing on the nest he was very quick transferring onto the camera post to join the adult female, 3AU is the nearest bird.

Moorhen with chick, Waderscrape Hide.

This is I'm sure the same bird that had the previous young in the channel to the front of the hide, she had four youngsters around the area and one of her previous young that was helping out with the feeding.

A little previous in wing flapping.

This juvenile kept feeding this youngster that kept close all the time we were on duty.

Another wing flapping to try to get mum to feed it.

Little Egret, Tufted Duck Hide.

As I opened the window on the hide this bird started to run so it was a quick image.

Juvenile Moorhen, Deep Water Hide.

This bird had initially got us beat, with it standing up rite it was difficult to decide as to what it was.




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