Sunday 11 April 2010

Venus Pool - OSPREY takes 3, 4 and 5!

I had a Marsh Harrier on my mind after a few domestic activities and for some utterly misguided reason, opted to see if I could chance upon the Whixall Moss Marshie which has been reported recently....

I ended up with Andy Latham and Howard Prince in the middle of the Moss, putting the world to rights and other than a dozen or so Common Buzzards, not being troubled much in the way of birdlife! I think a male Brimstone butterfly was the highlight!

Common sense eventually prevailed and I thought I'd ease the ensuing 'Mordor Grip' or Moss Fever by checking out VP and maybe that Osprey (again!)

A sunny Sunday afternoon at VP is not normally recommended (that 'moss fever' coming on again) or get your bum on a seat - 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 it could have been overshadowed by the Marshie?