AN EVENING AT EYEBROOK RESERVOIR AND AN OSPREY DUTY.

After seeing the Barn Owl on my last evening trip to Eyebrook, I decided to have another visit but later in the day. So after getting my wife's tea I headed away with my packed tea to see what if anything was about.

On arrival I could see plenty of Common Terns around the rafts. So I settled for my tea and kept a watch out for anything happening.

After a short time two Ospreys appeared on the far side of the reservoir, this even for me was pushing the distance so left the camera on the seat and finished my tea, my thoughts being they may fly closer on the return but unfortunately I never saw them again.

EYEBROOK RESERVOIR.
7th May.

Common Tern,. Tern Raft.

A bird I am always very fond of, such acrobatic flying. After being on site for a while a lady arrived and was talking to a gent , they then came and had a chat, they ring the young terns. Apparently they ringed 39 last year from two rafts, not bad going.

  

 We had a continuous movement of birds all the while I was on site.
The raft was 232 metres away from where I was parked.

Bird caught in flight, just over 120 metres away.  

Immature Black-backed Gull.

This bird suddenly appeared, initially it flew over the Tern raft but then it flew back up the reservoir, turned back and flew by me about 120 metres away. My they are a big beast indeed. 

It eventually landed about 50 metres short of the Tern raft and caught a fish. The yellow effect on the water is the reflection of a field of oil seed rape on the far side of the rervoir.

After a short time it decided to be away. 

This bird has a wing span in excess of 1.8 metres so very difficult to miss. 

Whilst taking these images another gent joined me trying for some shots, we then spent the remainder of the evening together watching for the Barn Owl that unfortunately did not appear, always another evening.

OSPREY DUTY.
MANTON BAY, 
WADERSCRAPE HIDE.
10th May.

This week I was able to carry out my Osprey duty at the Lyndon Centre and had a duty with Shelagh, we had a very busy afternoon as we have all three eggs hatched and mum is feeding the young on a regular basis and the weather was reasonable, a little windy but not over bad.

We had several intruder birds into the bay but all were seen way by the male and peace soon returned to the nest.

Sedge Warbler, Waderscrape Hide.

These delightful little birds were darting around in the reeds all afternoon, but with us being so busy with visitors it was difficult to pick up the camera. We seemed to be monitoring as to what the birds were doing or explaining to people about the Ospreys and moving the scopes. It was a wonderful afternoon.

 

Male Osprey, 33/11, Waderscrape Hide.

Just having a quick snack on a roach.

Female Osprey, Waderscrape Hide.

Here sitting up alarmed as we had an intruder in the bay. 33 was straight onto the job, dropped the fish on the nest on the way by and up into action.

This time it was an immature Great Black-backed gull. We had three further intruders, all Ospreys and all three were sent away.

  

The victor returns but before landing on the nest he has a trip around the field behind the nest.

And pick up a lump of hay for the nest. 

Here the female is feeding the young and the male is sitting on the camera post. When the female had finished feeding he shot in and stole the fish.

And was away to his favourite perch on the fallen tree and had a feed for a few minutes, but then we had an intruder so he returned the fish to the nest and got on with his job.

 

33/11 returning with a fish.

33 bringing a fish to feed the three young in the nest bowl.

Canada Goose, Shallow Water Hide.

After finishing our duty I had a quick visit to Shallow Water hide.
This goose swam by about 30 metres away.

 It then came slightly closer.

It then proceeded to have a bath, a much more sedate happening than last weeks with the Greylag Goose.

 

This was the end of the bath and then the bird flew away.

Mallard Drake, Shallow Water Hide.
This bird decided to have a stretch and a good flap of the wings.

Beautiful duck which after this flew away, all the birds have done this today!!!! 

Whitethroat Male, walk back to the car park.


This bird attracted my attention as it was singing its head off. In a bush where I have seen them before.






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