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.