ANOTHER SERIES OF OLD IMAGES, AGAIN SOME LOOKING FORWARD TO SPRING AND SUMMER WITH SOME REQUESTS FROM FRIENDS ABROAD.

Things  are still grim in the UK and we are still in lockdown, infection rates are falling but still high, in the area where we live the rates are unfortunately still rising so we are staying in home to keep away from any risk of infection. It would be so good to be able to go out with the bins and camera but it's just not worth the risk. We had a fall of snow, not overmuch but it was extremely cold, in places it was said to have been the coldest for sixty years, so even though I see Barn Owls  on a regular basis, I most certainly have not been out sitting in my hide watching the boxes.

The Macro images are for my friend Brian on the Isle of Man, we chat every evening and he has been a constant help through these trying times 

The Short Eared Owl images are for my friend Saeed in Dubai who requested some images, we both managed images of SEO at Eyebrook  Reservoir two years ago, what a wonderful day we had.

All the following images were taken in 2016, happy days!

House Martins, Shallow Water Hide.

Arriving to collect mud for nest building.

Busily mud collecting before flying back to the nearby village.

Black Tern, Waderscrape  Hide.


Pointed out by Tim  Mackrill, a bird I had never seen previously, but as with most of the birds from W Waderscrape Hide, a silly distance away, taken whilst on Osprey Duty.

same bird, unfortunately no closer.

Four Spotted Chaser Dragonfly.

Seen at the Egleton Reserve,.

Large Tortoiseshell,

Side of track, Lyndon Reserve, Near Waderscrape Hide.

Water Vole, Waderscrape Hide.

I would normally see several of these delightful creatures whilst on Osprey duty

Emerald Damsel fly, Egleton Reserve.

on the Woodland Walk.

Four Spotted Chaser Dragonfly, Lyndon Reserve, Near Tufted Duck Hide.

Difficult to resist not taking an image, beautiful dragonfly.

Large Skipper, Egleton Reserve.

On the side of the track near Crake Hide.

Shoveler Duck , Deep Water Hide, Lyndon Reserve.

A reminder of a beautiful duck on a beautiful day, lets hope these days are with us again soon.

Southern Hawker, Egleton Reserve.

Near to the Dipping pond.

As Above.

Emerald Damselfly. Egeleton Reserve.

At the side of the Woodland Walk.

Gate keeper. Egleton reserve.

Near the Dipping Pond.

Emperor Dragonfly, Tufted Duck Hide, Lyndon Reserve.

First spotted as it flew past the hide, the it landed on a reed about fifteen metres away.

Emperor Dragonfly, Lyndon Reserve.

Tufted Duck Hide.

Southern Migrant Hawker, Egleton Reserve.

By the Dipping Pond.

Speckled Wood, Lyndon Reserve.

Near to Shallow Water Hide.

Large Tortoiseshell. Egleton Reserve.

Near Shoveler Hide.

Large Skipper, Egleton Reserve.

Near Shoveler Hide, Not sure as to what the little black beetles are.

Large Tortoiseshell. Lyndon Reserve.

Side of the path near Waderscrape Hide.

Blue Lace Wing, Lyndon Reserve.

Side of main track down to the Hides.

Jay, Our Garden.

Regular visitors all Year.





SHORT EARED OWLS, COSSINGTON MEADOWS.
NOT A SUMMER VISITOR BUT A REQUEST FROM A FRIEND.

Not the birds we saw  together at Eyebrook Reservoir but equally good and you have plenty of images of those birds. I have therefore put together a series from 2016 when 3 birds over wintered at Cossington. Lets hope you can soon visit and we can get out birding again, don't forget the Barn Owls.

N

Short Eared Owl.

Here sat on a post about 30 metres away and trying to stare me out.

Flying low and hunting.

Sat on the same post as previous and taking in the view.

Sat in tree and showing why they are called Short Eared.

Two of the three Owls sat on Swan Meadow boundary fence posts.

Having a quick shake before away hunting.

These birds were so helpful, they at times were out and about from 11.00 am and kept flying about most of the time,I understand a bird has been about this Winter but I obviously have been unable to visit. I'm unsure as to the Eyebrook birds this year until I manage to visit,

Deep concentration whilst hunting.

Beautiful eyes, has it got me spotted.

 

AGAIN OLD IMAGES, BUT WITH THE HOPE OF GIVING US SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO, SPRING IS NOT THAT FAR AWAYAND THE OSPERY WILL SOON BE LEAVING AFRICA.

Things are still not good in the UK and we are still having to stay at home in Lockdown so its another post of old images, the only good news being I had my first vaccination onWednesday 3rd  afternoon, our doctor recommended  I go to one of the Vaccine centers, our doctor phoned and offered my appointment and booked it online whilst on the phone, he said  it would be much safer than going to a doctors surgery, [our surgery was not administering  the vaccine anyway]  his reasoning being due to having marshals every where to make sure that social distancing was observed at all times, on arrival I was sent to my allotted  parking  bay and then ushered into the center where my temperature was checked , numerous questions answered and I was logged in on my NHS number which then gave them access to my medical records which were forwarded to my nurse who was going to give me the jab, I was then ferried through to table 3 where a very friendly Scottish nurse  did the deed, totally painless, after this I had to sit and wait  for 15 minutes before being allowed to leave. A team of cleaners were going about continuously sanitizing  the chairs  and any other surfaces that required cleaning, a most impressive display of very fast and safe vaccination. My thanks to the NHS staff on duty

VISITS TO RUTLAND WATER.

Common Blue Damsel Fly.

All the following images were taken on the 25th June 2016 at Rutland Water,

Emerald Damsel Fly.

Woodland Walk.

Large Red Damsel Fly.

Woodland walk, Egleton Reserve. 

Wide Bodied Chaser Dragonfly.

woodland walk, Egleton Reserve.

Female Osprey, Manton Bay. Waderscrape Hide, Lyndon Reserve.

Washing her feet  after eating  a fish and feeding the young.

Common Tern, Shallow Water Hide, Lyndon Reserve.

Brown Spotted Orchid, Lyndon Reserve.

Little Egret, Waderscrape Hide, Lyndon Reserve.

these     images all taken on the 11th of    August 2016.

Male Osprey 33/11 Waderscrape Hide Manton Bay.

Male 33/11 and Female Osprey, Manton Bay. Waderscrape Hide.

Male on the camera post, female  coming in to land on the nest.

MaleOsprey 33/11, Wadersrape Hide.

Leaving on a fishing trip.

Common Tern, Shallow Water Hide.

Male Osprey 33/11 Waderscrape Hide.

Doing a proper job of feet washing.

Male Osprey  doing a nest fly past.

Away on another fishing trip, you can just make out the BTO metal ring on his nearest leg.

Common Tern in hover .

Great Crested Grebe, Shallow Water Hide.

Having caught a fish, just about to have tea, always find the red eye fscinating.

Common Blue Damsel Flies, Oviposting.

Mallard Duck with young, Tufted Duck Hide.


These seen on the 27th June 2016.

Male Osprey 33/11 Waderscrape Hide.



The Blue plastic Rutland Water ring is clearly  visible.

Away on a fishing trip.

Returning with a fish with a Common Tern in hot pursuit.

EGLETON RESERVE ,DUNNOCK HIDE LAGOON 4. MARCH 2016.I had a call from John Wright   the Rutland Water field officer to tell me we had several Osprey  attempting to use the same nest sight and could I visit that afternoon to monitor the birds and to call him if anything happened, it appeared a similar problem as we had last year with the Barn Owls but this time with 2 males and 2 females and one nest 

, in the end the male 51/11 mated up with the female 5 F and they produced a single egg on the Friday and 2two Egyptian geese got on the nest on the Saturday and smashed the egg,  5 F disappeared, never to return to Rutland  and is  a resident female at Dyfi in Wales, 51/11 is the resident male at site L at Rutland with the female 2 AF.

Male Osprey 51/11.

On my arrival he was attempting to catch a fish to impress the watching females, but failed.

But very soon got into problems with two black headed gulls, another failure.


 

He then landed on the T post adjacent to the nest.

The females sat on the nest not appearing over impressed with his antics!!

Both Males circling above the nest.

He then decided to chase away a passing Greater Black-backed gull to show he would defend the nest site, not the best of gulls to take on.

By this time boredom had set in with one female who departed onto the T post and turned her back on him.

Then the gull decided to turn the tables and chase the Osprey.

Another failure.

The solitary female looking most unimpressed with him.

EGLETON RESERVE, LAGOON3, SANDPIPER HIDE. 23 rd SEPTEMBER 2016.

I went for a walk around the reserve for the afternoon and managed to have a really interesting afternoon but I have only put a few images of Great White Egrets, keeping some for another time if this Lockdown continues.

Three Great White Egrets approaching the Hide, the most I have seen at Rutland being with my friend from Dubia in Crake Hide where we saw 19, they must be breeding in the UK.

On the way in to land, one already landing elsewhere and can be seen behind the bird.

A Heron then interrupted the proceedings and took flight.

The GWE then followed suit and was away.

Head close up, a piercing eye.



I hope you have enjoyed your visit as much as I have in putting this post together, I just wish we could get out birding but with how things are in the UK, this lockdown is going to be with us for some time I feel.