I went out with David this
afternoon and our plan was to visit Swithland Reservoir to hopefully find the
wintering female Scaup and then to go on to Cossington Meadows where we were
hoping for Short-eared Owl.
We called at Cropston
Reservoir on route to Swithland Reservoir where we had three male and a couple
of female Mandarin but there was little else with few birds on the water. David then suggested that we visit Swithland
Wood before going to the reservoir.
We checked out the holly tree
for Tawny Owls but there appeared to be less cover and certainly no owls were
roosting. We didn’t venture any further
into the wood but did have two Jay, a Marsh Tit and Treecreeper and two
Nuthatches were calling.
At Swithland Reservoir we
viewed the southern section first where there were plenty of birds but nothing
unusual and so we drove around to the dam in the northern section. David soon located the Scaup and I took a few
photos before we departed to Cossington.
Female Scaup
Female Scaup
We drove past Cossington
Meadows to an area just the other side of the A46 where David had seen a
White-fronted Goose whilst I was away in Costa Rica. There was no sign of the White-fronted Goose
but there was a Pink-footed Goose amongst the flock of Greylags and Canada
Geese.
Pink-footed Goose
On arrival at Cossington we
walked along the footpath to view the meadow where the Short-eared Owls
normally perform. As we approached the
far end we saw a bird in flight and as we moved closer found it perched on a
fence post. It then provided some
excellent views during our stay both in flight and perching on several
different fence posts. When perched, its
right wing was drooping, exposing the flight feathers more than usual but it
didn’t seem to be having any difficulty flying.
Another bird informed us that it had been attacked by a Buzzard earlier
when possible it perhaps sustained a minor injury. Whilst we were on site we also had a Little
Egret and a Kestrel and a Green Woodpecker called on several occasions. David also heard a possible Cetti’s Warbler
in the ditch just behind us. We moved closer
to the ditch when we both heard the bird, which were able to identify as a
Cetti’s, although not surprisingly it didn’t show.
Short-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
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