CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE  RED KITE  KIND.

 At the last LROS  meeting I was talking with friends  and having told them as to where to visit to see the Short Eared Owls , they put me onto a site for Red Kites where the previous week they had seen in excess of one hundred of these birds, apparently a local land  owner was putting out food and attracting large numbers.  So having got my directions as to how to find the birds, on the first day without rain and not over bad light I headed for the area hoping the local gent was going to feed them. On arrival I parked in the gateway as instructed and looking into the field to my right could only see  a number of pheasants on the ground all over the field , the field being about ten hectares, I then picked up my bins and the pheasants in fact were Red Kites, I have never seen  Red Kites roosting on the ground like this anywhere before, all patiently waiting for the food and calling, I the noticed Kites in the trees, on the roof tops of houses, it started to feel like a Hitchcock Film but all the birds were Red  Kites, I started getting some images but only when downloading did I find  that I had made a mistake in my settings but still managed to salvage some  acceptable images,I will obviously have to have another visit but this time check my settings more carefully. I would have gone back anyway, who could resist seeing that many birds all together.

Birds were continuously flying in even as it was getting darker but the attraction of the food kept them coming.  I would estimate the numbers seen on this first visit being in excess of sixty.

I then decided on Sunday the 16th to have a second try which unfortunately turned into a bit of a disaster. On arrival I parked in a gateway to have my packed lunch all the time keeping an eye on Kites in the field and landing in trees. I the thought I would have a drive up the road to see if we had any more birds in the trees an unfortunate decision  as whilst driving up the road into the sun, I managed to hit a pothole and burst the front nearside tyre, this I had not seen due to being dazzled so it was a case of finding somewhere reasonably level, parking up to change the tyre, this being a new car all I had checked was that I had the fitting to unlock the locking nuts ,I had found this previously in the glove box, so I went for the jack after undoing the wheel nuts, I put the jack in place and returned for the handle to wind the jack up, could not see it, I had a look in the handbook and had another look for the handle, this is when panic set in as it was missing, luckily a gent turned up to walk his dogs who had a similar handle for his jack and bless him helped me change the wheel. 
Needless to say Toyota have had an ear full this morning and have promised to deliver said missing handle directly.

I have had six visits to see the Short Eared Owls Owls to date and have seen up to three birds on three occasions, but no images as yet, I will keep visiting.

Red Kites on the Ground.

This bird was in the field some 200 metres from my gateway vantage point, as soon as I got out of the car, any close birds flew farther up the field, it was noticeable that birds would not fly over me once I had taken up my position at the gate.  cannot remember having ever seen these birds on the ground before. Very difficult to get  a good focus over the distance and the birds being on the ground.

Even farther away. 

Not much closer.

After this I concentrated on the birds flying and landing in trees.

This bird landed in the tree  but was virtually a shot into the sun.

A  quick move to a different location within the village  but still reasonable numbers  of birds.

Then back to my original position as I could see more birds moving in.

Then the tree started to fill up, some images of the birds coming in later in the post. Tree is about  140 metres  away and a case of sticking the lens out of the car window.

Another tree starts to get its visitors, this tree is much farther away.

Same tree  as above but this bird landed  on the highest point with two others.

I the moved back to the other position but unfortunately this meant shooting towards the sun, this tree is on the boundary of the land where the gent feeds the birds.

The following are a few flight shots but nothing special as the birds would not come close, in fact they appeared  to avoid coming towards me.

These are some of the birds circling in, more out of shot but wonderful to see, this image from my second visit when I saw in excess of eighty birds. The birds were continuously calling  as they circled in.  What a sight an sound.

This image from my first visit, this time we had in excess of sixty birds.

This time a slightly closer bird but image taken with lens out of the window.

Several birds observed chasing each other and this was prior to the food being put out.

Another pair having a chase but the light was really going and I had to head for home.

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

To my  far away birding friend, please either give me a call yourself or get someone else to call to say you are well.

John
Thanks for the telephone call, glad all is well  and  your getting better, will talk again soon, John

Sadly just before Christmas we lost our dear dog Maddy, she had been such a wonderful friend to both my wife and I through both our illness's, after my stroke and I had returned home,she would visit me several times through the night I'm sure just to check I was alright, we both miss her greatly It's the first time in such a long time we have had no dogs in the house, the place feels empty.

AT LAST A SHORT BREAK IN THE RAIN.

I decided on Monday the 23rd as the sun was almost showing to put the cameras in the car and to head to Eyebrook Reservoir  to have a good look for the Short Eared Owls, 
that is if they had turned up yet, I have read no reports of them in our area yet. Having spent in excess of an hour  in the area where I found them last year but with not a thing showing, then  a friend arrived and likewise he had seen nothing having visited every day so I had a quick visit to the Stoke Dry feeders to see what if anything was about, the results shown below.

Then on my trip home I took  a small detour  down a narrow field  road and sat on one of the fence posts about half a mile down was a Short Eared Owl,   I stopped the car  at an angle across the  road , just going to take the image and it flew into a tree on the other side of the road and from there out into the fields only to vanish behind some trees.

At the next time possible I intend to stake out this area  and see if I can find this bird again, always the chance  it won't be on its own, we had three together at Eyebrook last year. I returned on the Friday and spotted an owl immediately but it was much too far away t o get an image, then after about half an hour  a four wheel drive stopped at the side of me, the gent had his window down and asked if I was waiting  to see the Hunt, to which I answered definitely not, I explained I was looking for a Short Eared Owl  and explained I had seen one previously, I the showed my cameras as I thought he was going to move  me as at the entrance is a large sign saying no parking on the estate land. He then explained he was the estate manager and I was more than welcome to park wherever I wanted to get some photo's, he then went on to say he had seen two  Shorties and then went on to tell me they had an RSPB survey of the estate earlier in the year where  both Short and Long Eared Owls had been recorded plus Tawny Owls , Barn Owls and Little Owls, what a place I have found , the RSPB reported  that with it being a shooting estate pests such as Squirrels, Magpies  had been kept under control  and this was the reason for the large numbers of  Owls in residence at this time. Before he got on his way he told me as to where to go to see individual species  and that last Winter they had six Shorties on the Estate and four Long Eared so as soon as I  can manage a return trip I will visit the areas. I have returned three times since, on the first visit of the visits I saw two Shorties, on the second visit  I saw three and on my last visit I saw none but a shoot was on  so I did not expect to see anything with the noise.

Area where I am seeing the Short  Eared Owls .

Just before I took this image three birds flew in from the right, then turned around and returned. too far away for any decent images, so I will have to walk the footpath as suggested by the Estate Manager.

After searching for the Short Eared Owls , I had a visit to the Stoke Dry Feeders.

Blue Tit. Stoke DRY feeders.

Numerous birds were visiting whilst I sat, watched and had my lunch, they would not stay still for more than a second then dived onto the feeders.

Chaffinch. Male.
Again many about but more interested in the feeders, took time to get an uimage on the floor.

Goldfinch Male.

Several about but mostly on the feeders.

Grey Squirrel.

At one point in time I had six chasing and arguing  around the tree .

Jay. Under the bird feeders, Stoke Dry.

Having just finished my lunch and throwing the last piece out of the window, this Jay was obviously watching and was on the case virtually immediately, so I took the next set of images during its visit.

                                                                                        AVERY SHORT VISIT TO THE LYNDON RESERVE, RUTLAND WATER.

iI decided to have a very brief visit to Teal Hide before returning for another look for the Short Eared Owls, unfortunately nothing came very close to the hide but it was wonderful to be back at Rutland Water. 

Tufted Ducks,  The NewTeal Hide.

These birds were 200 metres away and since my stroke I find the lens to be very heavy but in the hide I can rest the lens on the hide , a great help. 

Golden Eye , Female and Male.

Again  a good 200 metres away, the female on the left.

The female having dived showered the male with water droplets.

Mute Swan, Male Teal Hide.

First seen a considerable distance away but gave him time to get closer.

Here he got within 50 metres of the Hide. They are really such a graceful  Swan.

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

I have  had two further visits for the Shorties but saw no birds on either visit, I will return again.