Monday 13 May 2013

Flying fish

Perhaps the highlight of the last few days has been osprey; the bird was first picked out on D reservoir on Saturday before Brian Colley stumbled upon the bird eating a fish near the East Hide and flew off north west with its breakfast:
 
In Brian's pictures there is a suggestion of a yellow darvic ring:

 
Dave Ware also picked the bird up a little later making a return down the river Hull - again a great set of pictures and for more check out his blog:


Martin Hodges too snapped the bird - more details undoubtedly to follow on his blog along with all the updates from a somewhat stilted moth and dragonfly season - one which has seen the first four spotted chaser this morning.  A plug via Martin too for the Odonata in the Algarve project - a new website here by Nuno de Santos Loureiro designed to develop and highlight dragonflies in Portugal for those of you fortunate enough to visit and pass on your records.

The ring necked duck still present as ever on D res - thanks to Nigel Genn for this fine shot:

It has been joined on the res this week by a variety of other interesting species.  A drake garganey outshining it on Saturday, common sandpiper on the wall this morning with grey, yellow and pied wagtail.  Little gull dropped in both weekend days with Erich bagging mediterranean gull on Saturday, and hobby has been a regular amongst the swifts and hirundines still massed over the res with Peregrine causing upset again too on Sunday.  Mistle thrush on the wall by Nigel too:

Still at least three cuckoos calling on site yesterday and for anyone after the cute factor the foxes on Watton now have 4 cubs seen this afternoon too - often to be found sunning themselves in the morning.