Venus Pool - Another Osprey!!

A late start and all seemed quiet with just a couple of Redshanks on the Pool. I set about capturing this Sedge Warbler singing by the ditch








At approx 9.20 there was quite a commotion and I could see the Lapwing flock circling high - raptor alert. I dashed back into the hide, not a Hobby, not Peregrine but an Osprey!! A rather tatty adult individual - it didn't linger, merely circled a couple of time before drifting away








It returned again at 10.30 - where the reception party was waiting to repel the invader! My THIRD Osprey at VP this year - lucky Jim indeed!






The two Little Egrets are still performing.....








A search with Yvonne along the River at Melverley failed to turn up the mysterious Bee-eaters - plenty of young birds on the wing here though including a family of Kestrel, young Whitethroat and Redstart!

Venus Pool - Little Egrets

Two Little Egrets have been roosting on the willow to the left of the main island recently and spending more and more time fishing at the Pool. The past two evenings have given a good opportunity to watch them feeding in front of the main hide (during long circuits of the pool).....






Another chance to catch the fish toss!!












Tastes good??








Of course they don't always catch!!






Which ruffles feathers somewhat!!








Then time for preen/roost......

Venus Pool - Blackwits

Two Black-tailed Godwits gave some wader interest today!






Including one particularly smart bird in Summer plumage!








An obliging brief flight to the nearer of the muddy islands.....

Goldcliff lagoons - Ruddy Shelducks

Swimming gala duty took me to Newport (Gwent) for the weekend and a brief break from the heat and humidity of the pool took me to the nearby wetlands for an hour Sunday morning.

The only birds of note (for what it's worth) were a pair of Ruddy Shelduck. The age old question of 'origin' will of course never be known and the list police can back off as they won't be on my list! Nevertheless, worth a picture or two as the bird information sites keep putting the news out......






Male and then female portraits - quite easy to distinguish.








They were just as flighty as the local Shelducks and the moral is.....






Get to the front of the flock if you want to remain unwhitewashed!!

Cute or what?

A bit of an assorted round up of mainly 'cute' images taken here and there. Hard to ignore some of these fluffy subjects at this time of year!

Lapwing chick - being watched over by a guardian angel?








Cygnets all ashore......






Tufted ducks galore.....








Feeling sleepy?






Hmm, not exactly cute but the young have got to eat something!

Venus Pool - Hobby

Raptors and luck have gone hand in hand with me over the past few weeks but one of my favourites has escaped attention - a Hobby!

That all changed with an hour long session of inctivity at Venus Pool - climaxed by a fly through from this individual....









Taxi service duties and collection of Kate from Uni beckoned for the rest of the day!!

Venus Pool - Greenshank

Another Greenshank passing through at VP and a very obliging bird despite the marginal vegetation which constantly ruined many a shot.....








A chance for a close up study?








A bird in calm water always oozes potential for including reflections? They don't always work but pleased with this one.......






And what was the attraction? Well, Greenshank can put Herons to shame on the fish catching front!






And if you don't believe me!