A MORE PRODUCTIVE VISIT TO EYEBROOK.

I decided to have another try at Eyebrook Reservoir hoping for the Osprey to show and luckily for me 03/09 arrived not long after arriving and nearly finishing my lunch, so sandwich on the passenger seat and out the car and hand holding this hefty camera and lens, they tell me its good exercise, but I soon finished up resting the lens on top of the car door, much easier, after this very pleasing interruption  I finished my lunch, later in the afternoon  I saw a friend who I have been seeing at the reservoir for a long time who told me he had seen 03/09 and three other Osprey in 03/09's favourite tree on the Wednesday afternoon, I was glad to see the one bird however I kept a good watch on the tree with my bins for the rest of my visit.

Male Osprey 03/09.

Unfortunately he never came very close, I would estimate he was a good 500 metres away for these images. 

Same image as above but not so cropped to show second Osprey above him.

He had a bit of a drift about before the two birds were heading towards the Dam and out of sight.

Black Headed Gull.


Out Towards the Tern Raft, the only one I bothered to get an image from.

Being so pale  this bird was really difficult to miss.

Pale Phase  Common Buzzard.


This bird then appeared and was initially being followed by a Red Kite, but by the time I had taken a few images the Kite had disappeared. This is the palest bird I have ever seen, had to check with a friend As to what it was.

Then it was gone over some trees and out of view.

MORE ON THE BARN OWLS.

Whenever the weather is suitable, {which it is most certainly not this evening, hence the work on a new post} I have been out with these beautiful birds attempting to get a better idea  as to what they are doing, when out in the hide I tend to concentrate on the large box , this being where all three birds roost, but on Wednesday the 26th evening, I was as normal watching the large box when late on, the resident male came out of the small box. Has the Interloper sent him packing? or has he moved himself out. I will have to put on the cameras in both boxes, at the same time watching the box as the cameras for some reason disturb the Males but not the Female.

I have eventually managed some slightly better images of the Interloper leaving the large box. I find myself complaining its dark when he appears, but as a friend commented, its an Owl, they come out when its dark, I suppose  I should be grateful the Resident Male comes out that bit earlier.
In these awful times these birds have been a wonderful distraction and have got me outside safely on our own land wel away from people.

Resident Male.
He changed his favourite post for a short time  and sat on the other side of the box.

First look out of the evening.

And a casual stroll across the front of the box, a far more relaxed bird than the Interloper. 

And then up onto his favourite post. 

A quick tidy up.

A quick check to see if I'm still about in the hide.

Another evening and the first sighting. 

And again up onto his favourite post, a creature of habit. 

I'm not sure as to the attraction of this post, perhaps when its dark he finds its a good hunting position. 

Then down onto the front of the box and a short flight.

Then up onto the post on the other side of the box.

Then back down onto the front of the box.

Then he was away hunting and back in under five minutes with a mouse. 

 I have put this image in this position so you can see the difference with the bird below.

SOME IMAGES OF THE INTERLOPER AT LAST.

 The images below  were taken over three nights with the camera objecting by a very slow speed indication and great difficulty in focusing, as good as your kit is ,to be fair it's not designed to work in the dark, low light yes, dark , no but that's the nature  of he bird I am working with, so please be understanding with the poor image quality.

You will notice the Interloper has different shaped eyes to the Resident bird, as above, and also has not got the eye staining either.

Interloper Male.

Not so heavily cropped but the different  shape to the eyes and lack of staining evident.

One of these nights he will appear earlier . 

The lack of staining really evident in this image.




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