A sunny Sunday afternoon at VP is not normally recommended but I actually managed to sit down in the new Memorial hide! At least there were a few Yellow Wagtails (four counted), Hirundines, a Common Gull (first seen here for quite a while) plus a singing male Blackcap.
After 45 minutes or so, I picked up the now nearly 'resident' Osprey gliding in (Take 3) and with good light and blue sky - MORE flight shots.....
This was now becoming hard work, (but someone's got to do it) I had to endure the sight of the Osprey circling for just over 15 minutes, sometimes almost overhead. My instinctive habit of stopping breathing whilst pressing the shutter coupled with hand holding a 500mm lens began to take it's toll!
Step hovering.....
Eventually it departed, fishless.....
Don't drop off to sleep or start ignoring my blog though, there was the odd splash and dash takeaway coming in Takes 4/5..... but at approx 3.20pm...... something I have not seen happen at VP before - happened! You'll have to branch off to the post below to see....
Meanwhile, (or.... welcome back) lets carry on with 'Take 4'
I should really have gone by now but..... I nipped back from the car as there was a 'year tick' Common Sandpiper in front of the main hide......
Whilst I was there, barely an hour after the last fish was taken - look who came back for take 5!!
Can these fish really get any smaller??? A great bird but would you believe itwas about to be overshadowed by what happened next!
A bit of Marsh Harrier excitement at Venus Pool on this day in 2010...
Venus Pool lifers are memorable events for me, they just don't happen very often....!
With really memorable events, you always remember where you were? Like when JFK got shot for example (showing my age now) - I was in a fish and chip shop actually! Reckon I'll always remember where I was when a Marsh Harrier turned up at VP - LOL !!
Anyway, I wasn't in a fish and chip shop, it was the Memorial hide and that wasn't the Osprey sneaking back low over the North Marsh! It wasn't a Buzzard or Red Kite either - the brain went into overdrive with the realisation female 'MARSH HARRIER'!
The amazing thing was, instead of doing the quick flyover that scarce raptors do - it cruised backwards and forwards, hunting over the far reed bed.....
This Harrier was clearly hungry and after a couple of missed attempts, it clearly spotted something tasty?
Eventually, after sitting down with whatever it had just caught for 5 mins - it departed - back the way it came over the Northern plantation, mobbed by corvids......
The Osprey had been impressive once again but absolutely no doubt which bird stole the show - the Marshie moment 20 mins or so long - appropriately, a Tunnocks teacake followed to celebrate!
