WE ARE IN LOCKDOWN, BUT BOREDOM HAS ALREADY TAKEN OVER, HOWEVER I  DECIDED IJUST HAD TO HAVE A TRIP TO SWITHLAND RESERVOIR, I WAS DOING NO HARM.

Officially under our lockdown rules we are only allowed out to go shopping and for exercise using the car, I decided to mix the two, shop for some bird images and exercise on the Dam wall at Swithland Reservoir, on arrival I found many more birders doing exactly the same, we all kept well apart, social distancing of  20 metres plus, and all being very responsible. I just wish more of our inhabitants would do likewise, we are in lockdown and our case numbers are rising, how can this be if people are being sensible???

I spent the bulk of my time on the Dam, but unfortunately nothing initially came very close but after a while other ducks decided to visit the area but non came as close as I would have liked unfortunately .

All in all it was an enjoyable time and well worth the time, I may venture farther next week, but you can't push your luck too much.

Unfortunately nothing came very close so for the first time I took Nikons advice and cropped the images very heavily and it appears to have worked reasonably well.

This is a bit of a different  post for me with not all the images taken in the last week.

Great Crested Grebe, off the Dam.

This bird was the only Grebe to venture that bit closer to the Dam but was still in excess of 100 metres away.

Male Goldeneye Duck.

Whilst watching the Grebe this duck suddenly appeared nearby, I had not noticed it previously but  a good arrival for me.

Then a quick dive.

Adult Male Tufted Duck {Scaup }

After a short time more ducks appeared and slowly came my way.

He does not appear to have much of a tuft, but love the eye.

Female Tufted  Duck.

The only one I managed a reasonable shot from, the rest all kept away.

Female has the white above the beak, again not much of a tuft.

Mallard Female.

Several pairs came in with the Tufted ducks.

Then she had a quick dive.

Mallard,Male .

A much maligned duck.

They really are a beautifully marked Duck. 

 

 

 

Male Shoveler duck.

These two then appeared, followed by. These were a silly distance away.

This pair.

Mute Swan Adult Male .

Swam past with a Cygnet in tow.

Swam by  following he male then turned around and came back only to then chase back after the adult.

Black Headed Gull.

It appears where ever you go at the moment you find these birds, they are even flying about over our land,

This one took off from between some Tufted Ducks.

And this one had a snooze.

Pair of Wigeon.

This pair then swam in but considerably farther out from me.

SOME MORE RED KITE IMAGES.

These are more of the images taken on my visit pre lockdown, unusual for me to take more than required, I usually prefer to watch the birds, its far more entertaining. Something I have recently learned about these birds, the shallower the V in the tail, the younger the bird, mind to me the tails appear identical.

I hope you have enjoyed your visit as much as I did in the getting of the images. Our lockdown finishes on the 2nd of December, I can ten return to my normal haunts with hopefully some Short Eared Owls,

WHAT AM I GOINGTO DO WITHOUT THE BARN OWLS. 

I am in a bit of a quandary as to how to fill my blog, I am unable to take anymore Barn Owl images due to the dark evenings, I am also awaiting an operation for a new knee but I have not got a date as yet for the operation, but must admit I hope it is sooner more than later, due to this I am unable to walk very far  or stand for any length of time, so venues such as Rutland Water are  a definite non starter, also this damnable virus is not helping anyone.

 I have just found out having spoken to my youngest daughter that she has tested positive for this awful virus and is having to self isolate for seven days and is being looked after by her middle daughter  who has consequently also got the damnable virus so something else for us to worry about. So I have decided that until the new knee is in place I am going to have to be happy with visits to Eyebrook Reservoir , where at least the Winter visitors have started to arrive, a friend has e mailed to say the first female Smew { Red Heads } have arrived,  so hopefully within a couple of weeks the males should be arriving, and he's not sure but he thinks he has seen a Short Eared Owl, so it's not that dire,  and I also have the Red Kites, I can the take images from the comfort of the car and seated, how I would love to go for a good  walk with the camera around Rutland  Water. 

From what I understand from friends in the medical profession, thoughts are that the World is  in for a tough time  through the next few months, lets hope we have a vaccine by the Spring, but from what I can glean from a friend it is proving  to be a difficult task , all we can ask is that we all come out of the other side of this pandemic and live to fight another day.  We in England have gone into another Lockdown for a month so this could be my last post for a few weeks, lets hope I can find something of interest close to home to get my attention, we are not allowed to drive very far and only for shopping or exercise. Mind the weight of my camera And lens, using it is most certainly exercise.

Cormorants on Tern Raft.

The Common Terns will be sunning themselves in Africa so the cormorants have decided to take up residence on the raft, the corner post having been repaired all is ready for the birds to return next Spring.

Canada Geese Heading Towards the Reservoir. 

These and Greylag geese are about in reasonable numbers all around the reservoir.

Little Egret, Opposite Stoke Dry
 Village.

Having over previous weeks seen several fly past, this time I was at the ready and managed a couple of images.

Lapwing, Upper Bunker Hide.

These all suddenly took to the air  which made me think a Peregrine was about, but they did not go over high which they would if being predated, I had a good search for either a Sparrow Hawk or a Falcon  but nothing could be seen and after a few minutes they all settled down and landed, so a false alarm.

 


Great Black Backed Gull, Upper Bunker Hide.

Sat on the post  some 200 metres from the hide, a voracious gull with an appetite that includes mammals and other gulls, with a wingspan of 65 inches and weighing in at  four and a half pounds, this is a formidable predator.

A VISIT WITH THE RED KITES.

I actually have had two visits with the kites, on my first visit it was raining and very dull, but fortunately on my second the sun shone for most of the time, whereas on my first visit the sky was full of the birds. on the second visit not so many appeared but still enough to keep your interest, in fact it was still very interesting, with lots of calling during the first visit. After being  in the feeding field for a while my friend Richard arrived for a visit with the birds.

Image taken the previous week in the dull weather and rain showing the Kites starting to congregate.

Red Kite, In the gentleman's garden where fed.

These really are a bird that's worth watching, with the swooping and chasing most entertaining, I set my camera kit up on a tripod and take a chair with me so as to rest my knee.

This bird has white wing tags indicating a Midlands bird, numerous colors are used  to indicate the area of breeding.

Beautiful piecing eye, I think I was well and truly spotted by this bird.

Another that has me in its sights.

A few weeks ago more of the birds were in a state of molt  as this individual.




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