ANOTHER TRIP TO CALKE ABBEY, EYEBROOK RESERVOIR AND AN OSPREY DUTY.



CALKE ABBEY
WEDNESDAY 27th. June.

I decided to have another visit in the evening to Calke for another try with the Badgers, I arrived as previous not much after 19.00 hrs and firstly visited the bird hide but not much was about so I had another visit with the Red Deer, such graceful creatures.

I then got on my way across the fields in search of the Badgers, I did the reverse route from last time but unfortunately didn't manage to get it completely correct and finished having to do a bit of a detour to get to the sett, about 50 metres short of my destination I saw some bracken moving about about 1.8 metres in front of me close to an large Oak tree, then a small Badger about 375 mm long  calmly walked out of the bracken, had a quick glance at me and carried on walking across an area of grass until it went out of site, of course the camera was over my shoulder with my bins and I was carrying the tripod, but it was so good to see this little one.

I then carried onto my area where we had seen them previously and got myself set up at the top of what appears to be a path up from the sett towards the top of thee hill. 

After a while, about 20.45 hrs I suddenly saw the bracken moving and within a very short time a Badger appeared, I would say about 10 metres away but after that they came considerably closer with the consequence I could get no images, This is a problem with using a large lens, they will not focus at such a distance, they were I would estimate as close as 1.5 metres and took no notice of me at all.

Luckily the wind was in a good direction and no scent from me was going towards them, it was a very warm evening and after the walk across I was somewhat sweaty.

I left the area of the sett at about 21.30 hrs having seen 14 badgers but only managing images from 3, the other were all too close.

Next time I will have to move farther up the hill!!!!!., but what a wonderful evening I had, and walked back to the car park with a happy grin.

Red Deer Calke Abbey.

I had a short time with these wonderful creatures, such a delight to get some images from. On this visit  more youngsters were about. 

Jackdaw, near to Badger Sett.

One of an enormous number that were flying about all evening. 

First Badger,

Never made it onto the path so still partly hidden in the Bracken, about 10 metres away from me.

Second Badger.

In virtually the same spot as the previous .

Third Badger.

This one came out onto the path but walked away from me where the ones that came close all walked towards me.

EYEBROOK RESERVOIR.

Thursday 28 th.

I decided after the previous evenings exertion in the heat to have a steadier afternoon at Eyebrook and as the temperature was about 19 degrees I think it was the correct decision.

I got away from home for about 12.00 hrs and arrived at 13.00.

I had a very varied afternoon subject wise. 

 

Male Osprey 03/09.

Carrying back a nice fish to the nest at Site O and was calling very loudly most of the time. 

Hobby.

This bird had flown past twice before I managed to get any images,it was like trying to get images from a missile at the speed it was flying about at, super bird to see. 

R.A.F. Red Arrows.

I was talking with the gent who goes out to the Tern rafts to ring the young and he was telling me he had been out that morning and ringed the first nineteen when I saw this smoke in the distance, it was the Royal Air force display team practising ready for the celebration fly past a Buckingham Palace next week. I would estimate they were about 2 kilometres away.

Red Kite, Opposite Stoke Dry Village.

During the afternoon I saw several of the birds, they are such wonderful birds to watch in flight. 

Then another arrived a little closer. 

Only to be given a chase by a Common Tern. 

After a short chase it thought better of it and glided away.

Spitfire ML 407. {Grace}

I stood watching the world go by when I suddenly heard a superb roar to the back of me. On turning round I saw this Spitfire doing a loop but as the images were virtually into the sun this is the only one that is anything like.
It is piloted by Carolyn Grace and is based at Sywell Aerodrome.

OSPREY DUTY.

7 th July.

I was on duty again with Shelagh and this commenced at 13.00 hrs. Since my last duty the two young have both fledged and becoming reasonably adept at flying.

On arrival at Waderscrape Hide the temperature inside was 35 degrees, 28 outside and my thoughts were we would have a reasonably quiet afternoon due to this, wrong we had one of the busiest afternoons I can remember with people arriving most of the afternoon and people were still walking down to the hide as we walked back to the car park.

Cormorant, Tufted Duck Hide.

Several of these birds sat out to the front of the hide, this one appeared to be suffering with the heat as I was. 

Female Osprey with young female 3 AW .

I think even the Ospreys were feeling the heat, this pair sat together in the fallen tree for about an hour. Distance of 310 metres approx.

 Young Male Osprey 3 AU.

Both young decided late afternoon to have a fly around and these two images are taken in the area of the nest.

Young Female Osprey 3 AW.

She eventually returned to the nest as the Male 33/11 returned with a small fish which after the adult male had his feed from he took it to the nest and she immediately took it and flew to the fallen tree and ate the remainder.
  

Male Osprey 33/11 with a small Roach.

This is the fish that 3 AW flew away with.  

Young Moorhen, Waderscrape Hide.

This is one of the two young i have taken images of over the last three or four duties. They are really coming on well and mum is still in the channel looking after them.

Muntjac Deer, Wadrerscrape Hide.

This little deer appeared at the end of the left hand channel but soon disappeared into the reeds.

Water Vole, Waderscrape Hide.
We had several appear all afternoon but this one was in view for about five minutes. 

Mute Swan with Cygnets, Tufted Duck Hide.
One of those images I just had to take with mum overseeing these four youngsters.

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

Update on the Barn Owls, I saw both the male and female leave the box last night and am just about to go out after I post this blog.