WISHING YOU ALL A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS, AND A MUCH IMPROVED 2021,

Firstly thank you all for the following and help and advice with the Barn Owls during 2020, and lets all hope for a much improved 2021 and we see the end of this awful Covid 19 virus. Looking back it has been a funny old year that for me was helped immensely by our Barn Owls, giving me an interest that I could  really  get involved with without having to leave home  making my life much safer sitting out of a summers evening in my hide, it makes me look forward to next summer. 

From the BTO records it was not a good year for Barn Owls, not just ours, it appears lots of pairs did not breed, I from what I can see however  only our birds got  themselves into such a  diabolical mix up, so fingers crossed for next year.

 

I am  sill on reasonable evenings seeing two male bird, one from each box, could still be more but it gets dark so early and quick.

 

 

SOME OF MY  FAVOURITES FROM 2020. 

 

 

Resident Male Barn Owl.

 I will say one thing for this male, he as far as I saw fed the female at least once every night even when she move into the small box, so I hope he stays for next year , he's proved himself as a good provider. He has a reasonable am amount of staining to the eyes.

 

 

 

 

Resident Female Barn Owl.

My personal thoughts are that she was a young bird and wasn't really sure as to what to do or what her role was, hence she took the food brought in by the male but also went out hunting herself.

 

Interloper Male 1.

With the arrival of this bird things  started  to go wrong, his eyes certainly gives an oriental appearance.

Interloper Male 2.

Similar looking male to the resident male but with very little staining to the eyes.

Tawny Owl.

Fortunately only took up residence for one day in the small box and never to be seen again.

Robin Calke Park.

Staying close to the feeders.

Red Deer Stag. Calke Park.

In comparison to some estates only a small herd is held but good to visit and see them.

Younger Stag.

Carrying damage to his Antlers from the rut.

Coal Tit, Eyebrook Reservoir.

 Numerous birds attracted to the feeders, just good to watch.

Blue Tit, Eyebrook Reservoir.

Again attracted to the feeders.

Great Tit, Eyebrook Reservoir.

Again by the feeders.

Chaffinch, Eyebrook Reservoir.

Collecting the seed dropped by the other birds from the floor.

Herring Gull, Eyebrook Reservoir.

Not a gull we see in large numbers at the reservoir.

Common Tern, Eyebrook Reservoir.

Feeding Young on Tern Raft.

Golden Eye, Swithland Reservoir.

Beautiful Duck for me only surpassed by a Smew.

Red Kite, Small village in Northamptonshire

I have been visiting these birds on a regular basis, wonderful birds to watch in flight,.

Thank you for your visit, I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have in the putting the post together.

 LOCKDOWN HAS ENDEDBUT HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH A TIER SYSTEM.

Lockdown actually finished on the 2nd of December and has been replaced by our Goverment with a Tier System, the area where I live  is in North West Leicestershire and this has been placed in Tier 3, the highest  due to Covid 19 spreading and appearing to be out of control, if only people would observe the rules we would not be in the awful position we find ourselves in today, case are rising at an alarming rate with nearly 22,000 new cases today. The hope was that by the 16th we would be placed into Tier 2 but that does not really seem feasible. This is making birding very difficult as to the rules you cannot travel from one Tier Area into another. We are in Tier 3 and Rutland is in Tier 2, this covers Rutland Water and Eyebrook Reservoir, so neither are places I can visit without the chance of a heavy fine. I understand it is for our own safety but it is very easy to stay well clear of people and still have an afternoons birdwatching, lets keep fingers crossed and hope for a Tier change.

An up date on the Barn Owls, I see at least two birds most evening when dry each coming out of both boxes before  flying away.

I have just checked and it appears we may change to Tier 2 at midnight on Wednesday the 16th.

Little Egret, Dam Wall,  Swithland  Reservoir.

One of two of these birds feeding along the dam face, with some green algae floating about , hence green feet instead of yellow and green legs.

Second Little Egret with feet showing a little more yellow.

Great White Egret, Top half of Reservoir, in a tree on Brazil Island.

This image taken from in the car on a causeway that crosses part of the top part of the Reservoir, not the best of images but the bird was on checking 683 metres away/, taken on my first visit on the 24th of November.

This image taken on the 10 th of December, the first dry day since my previous visit, this bird suddenly appeared from my right and flew past, so it was a case of grab the camera and shoot. Talking with my birding pal Rhys he tells me this is one of four that appear to be traversing between Swithland Reservoir,  Cropston Reservoir and Cossington Meadows.

It eventually landed some 320 metres away, and had a walk about.

Mallard Drake, from Causeway.

This taken before it started raining on the 24th of November, I always think they are such a beautifully marked duck.

Black Headed gull, from Causeway.

When I looked out the other morning we had twelve  of these gulls at the top end of our land.

SOME MORE RED KITE IMAGES, FROM MY LAST VISIT BEFORE LOCKDOWN.

It is most unlike me to have taken so many images on one visit, I would normally take a few images then spend as much time as possible watching the delightful birds swooping and chasing each other, but luckily I took some extra to help me through these lean times before hopefully managing to get out farther a field.