There was a slight mist as Kev and I arrived at site to try and find turtle doves - we used to see a few at RSPB Otmoor each year but they have disappeared from the site, now only being spotted infrequently on passage. As we reached the area where the birds were likely to be we could see a chap standing on a bridge and watching out in front of him. We said hello and joined him, listening to and watching a turtle dove on a far rooftop. A few minutes later another would call, this time from a tree to our left.
We had a nice chat to the chap we'd met and found out that he worked for Natural England. He also had a camera and snapped off a few photos as we watched. The bird that had been on the rooftop relocated to a favoured perch and allowed great views. Beautiful as they were we decided to withdraw and leave them in peace.
We stopped for breakfast enroute, arriving at our next stop where we hoped to see ospreys - this reservoir is one where they regularly fish and so we stood a good chance of success. We parked the car, set up a scope, and started scanning. Out in front we saw stonechats, yellow wagtails and out across the water were numbers of common terns.
Calls from behind piqued our interest and on investigation we found a magpie's nest in the hedge - the calls from a chick. Kev then found an osprey sitting in a tree that is known to be a favourite of visiting ospreys and we waited, hoping for some action. We were focused on the bird in the tree and completely missed the approach of a second osprey. It flew and hovered alternately, looking for an opportunity to dive for a fish.
Suddenly we had both ospreys in front of us, with the original bird chasing the new arrival - the birds continued the chase off into the distance until they were lost from view. A couple of birds appeared amongst the common terns and were black terns - a bonus species! They were eventually lost from view, but two black terns would be reported on another piece of water locally just a couple of hours later - our birds? Photos were difficult as the birds stayed close to the water in the heat haze.
An osprey reappeared in the favoured tree but again flew off without fishing. We travelled further down the bank and had a close flypast from an osprey, still not fishing but giving superb views.
We couldn't add any more and so made our way around the reservoir stopping when we saw an osprey starting to fish. We jumped back out of the car, joining a woman birder - Penny we found out. We watched as a second bird appeared and chased the first trying to rest a fish from its talons.
We chatted with Penny for a while and saw an osprey fishing but failing to catch on multiple attempts. Photos were becoming less and less clear as the heat haze intensified and so we bid Penny farewell and travelled back, stopping for lunch as we got closer to home.
Now mid-afternoon we decided to drop into Wormleighton to see if I could add spotted flycatcher to my year list - our friend Dave South had photographed one recently. We walked through the village and down to the water treatment works, failing to see much other than chiffchaff.
We split up and it would be Kev that found a spotted fly flicking deep in the trees - he called but it had gone from view by the time I arrived. I stayed looking at the area Kev had indicated but nothing moved. Kev had dropped further ahead and to where I'd been standing, calling when he saw another bird. This time I got on it and eventually one became two. Cracking little birds eventually showing well and now I had four ticks for the day.
No comments:
Post a Comment