I'm Back At Last. After my enforced  break , still not 100%  but  desperately wanting to get out with the cameras, I want to see wildlife and have a look at other blogs, Thank you all for all the good wishes, they were very much appreciated. I am still having numerous hospital visits, all but one associated with my Sepsis, the other one is for my new knee, that cannot come quick enough.

 WHILST THE CATS AWAY, THE MICE WILL PLAY.

In this case I am the cat, { not known for my stealth} and the mice are  a damnable squirrel, it's only since being home I managed one evening to sit out in the car,  I'm still not up to sitting in the hide, when this little horror appeared and went in both boxes, I am usually  very wary of squirrels on our land and as a rule move them on within a day of seeing them, but this time being otherwise indisposed in hospital  I was unable to do anything about it .  Before going into hospital I was regularly seeing Barn Owls leaving both boxes and we were finding pellets all the time, hence the previous post relating to dissecting Pellets post. Since arriving home and having the visit from the squirrel ,  we saw no Barn Owl pellets or any sign of the birds for the best part of four weeks weeks, I have the ringers asking if we had young in the box and also a friend wishing to visit with his kit to sit in the hide to watch and get some images. At last some good news, as I was out on the tractor  today [11.07.2021 and we had a good amount of pellets under the small box, so tomorrow if it stays dry I will get some images, and as soon as I can get the cameras on in both boxes cameras on in the boxes and see what's going on, fingers crossed all is well.

Pre my hospitalization I had two visits to Eyebrook Reservoir 

CAN SOMEBODY P,LEASE TELL ME HOW TO STOP THIS PROGRAMME SHRINKING MY HHEADER?????

Squirrel on Small Box.

After this it visited the large box. I will have the cameras on in the next few days and see what's going on in the boxes and post an update, this appears to have been a real disaster  for the Owls.

VISIT 1 15th of April.

Black headed gull[ rear view].


On my first visit no Common Terns had arrived,  however great interest was being taken in a Sandwich Tern with its spiky hair do, this I saw but could not get an image unfortunately.

Cormorants on the Tern Raft.

These will soon be moved on when the Terns return.

Red Kite, a go0o0d distance away.

The closer the bird came it really kept a watch as to what I was doing, in the last image it is virtually staring at me.

Great Tit, near the Reservoir entrance Stream.

I got the following images from the bridge over the stream.

Chaffinch, again by the bridge.

Blue Tit, by the bridge.

Always a delight to watch.

Visit 2.

The Day Prior to being Rushed into Hospital. 

Greylag Goose, opposite Stoke Dry.

This pair got out of the water to feed on the bank.

Canada Goose,[ for David.]


This one also on the bank away from all the  Canada Geese.

Great Tit just about to leave the box.

We've had again this year both Great Tits and Bluer Tits in the nest boxes near the house, also several more pairs in  boxes scattered about in the trees.  

The other bird in the pair returning, it appears with no food

The young Blue Tits fledged first.

Tern Raft Eyebrook Reservoir.

Appears this year a considerable drop in the number of Common Tern and the raft is being shared with Black Headed Gulls.

As usual the normal chaos around the nests is still evident.

Black Headed gull objecting to the Terns returning.

Common Tern Near the Raft.

With the aerobatics its difficult to get a decent image.

This bird was a little more stable.

Yellowhammer[ landed about 30 metres from me.]


This must be the first yellowhammer I've seen in several years.

And then a second bird turned up, must be my lucky day, different tree.

Mute Swans with Cygnets.

The only ones I have seen so far this year.

Peacock.

On my trips over to Eyebrook Reservoir I pass numerous farms and for several trips I have seen these birds, this time one had managed to get somehow onto the roof of the pen, unfortunately all the hens were on the floor with three other males and the camera focused on the wire, not the birds.

My First Trip Out 8 th of July Eyebrook Reservoir.

I could not resist some more Peacock images  on my trip over to Eyebrook. The only male to display was still in the pen and behind the wire unfortunately.

This time two males had got onto the roof.

Hopefully on a visit soon I will manage to get a Male displaying on the Roof.

Common Tern.

A definite drop in numbers over previous years.

My first Osprey of 2021.

This bird had come from Rutland Water and with the help of someone with a scope he managed to read the ring number, it was at a good height as I only saw it on its return journey when it was gaining height to get over the hill and back to Rutland, it was 33/11 the Manton Bay male, all that trouble just for one small roach.
These are all long distance images due to the height the bird was at.

You can just make out the Blue Rutland ring with 33  showing with how his feathers are moving the bird is very close to stalling.

They really are a majestic bird in flight.

He then having gained sufficient height  glided back to Rutland Water.

Gatekeeper Butterflies.

These images taken on my810 and 50-500mm Sigma lens whilst the 850 sat on my tripod.

This taken mote for the flower.


Update on our Barn Owls.

Barn Owl Pellets and feathers.

Having spent several evenings out in the car, and not seeing any signs of the owls, I collected these pellets yesterday and took the image today, we get more every day but I have still to see a Barn Owl. Hopefully the weather will improve and I can get my hide erected.

These Owls are certainly making a fool of me, but I will persevere and see them. I sat out last night in the car until it was dark but no signs of an Owl, went out this morning and a considerable number of new pellets. These birds are laughing at me??????







Thank you for your visit, it's certainly good to feel sufficiently  better to be able to get out  and watch the birds. Again thank you all for the kind thoughts and messages.