-goosander pair
Having followed the goosanders up the river, I returned to find that my mum, dad and brother had wanderd off without me. So I sat and waited near to the car, where I spotted a golden coloured bee flying round, which then dissapeared down a hole under a leaf. I waited by the hole but got a bit fed up and so stood up again, and there was the little bee flying around. Examination of the floor found lots of little holes where the bees could live. I tried to get a photo but it was too quick. Then it landed...on my trainer! I couldnt get the shot I wanted because it was on my ankle and so I ended up shooting down on it, not ideal!
-Bee
Our actual destination for the day was the osprey view point at basenthwaite lake, and after packing up thats where we headed. The viewpoint wasactually hidden deep within a forestry commission wood, but was certainly more advanced than last time. Today it was maned and there were rails, with scopesand a feeding station. Last time it was just a path next to an opening in the trees. The issue today was that the haze had blocked everything out, the photo below shows. The big tree in the center, standing out is where the nest is, but you could hardly tell! I was lucky though, when I was watching through the scope, it wasnt the small head that we were suppost to be looking for but an adult flew in, that I saw, so I was the luckiest person there at the time. Don't consider the photo below a record shot!
Our actual destination for the day was the osprey view point at basenthwaite lake, and after packing up thats where we headed. The viewpoint wasactually hidden deep within a forestry commission wood, but was certainly more advanced than last time. Today it was maned and there were rails, with scopesand a feeding station. Last time it was just a path next to an opening in the trees. The issue today was that the haze had blocked everything out, the photo below shows. The big tree in the center, standing out is where the nest is, but you could hardly tell! I was lucky though, when I was watching through the scope, it wasnt the small head that we were suppost to be looking for but an adult flew in, that I saw, so I was the luckiest person there at the time. Don't consider the photo below a record shot!
-Haze, with osprey tree
The feeding station diddnt have anything on it, although apparently there were sometimes red squirrels. We decided to go to the gardens across the road, that were owned privatly. Whilst my mum and dad went for a look at the gardens I decided to go for a look at the "lakeside walk" to see If the osprey would come fishing there. It diddnt, although there were clearly plenty of fish given by the number of cormorants there!
The feeding station diddnt have anything on it, although apparently there were sometimes red squirrels. We decided to go to the gardens across the road, that were owned privatly. Whilst my mum and dad went for a look at the gardens I decided to go for a look at the "lakeside walk" to see If the osprey would come fishing there. It diddnt, although there were clearly plenty of fish given by the number of cormorants there!
-cormorants in excess!
Whilst I was sat on a tree trunk waiting I heard a familiar song and looking around spotted a pipit in a tree! I couldnt beleive it, you wait for all your birdwatching life to see a bird but then you see two in a week. sadly it diddnt stick around and I ended up following a chaffinch thinking that it was the tree pipit, so the view I got was pretty poor!
Whilst I was sat on a tree trunk waiting I heard a familiar song and looking around spotted a pipit in a tree! I couldnt beleive it, you wait for all your birdwatching life to see a bird but then you see two in a week. sadly it diddnt stick around and I ended up following a chaffinch thinking that it was the tree pipit, so the view I got was pretty poor!
-Tree pipit
I double backed on myself to go back to the gardens, but I couldnt find my mum or dad so I decided to walk around the whole walk, only I set off the other way to last time. There wasnt much happening but then, as I was about to enter the woodland part of the walk, I saw a quick tail flutter and a flash of red on the gate post and realised I had a male redstart again. I got some smashing views of the bird as it skipped between trees. Eventually it flew into the top trees, about 10 meters high, and I was pushed for time so I had to leave. I have only ever seen adult male redstarts which are the most stunning, but don't offer much in the way of identification challenges. never mind, they are simply stunning birds.
I double backed on myself to go back to the gardens, but I couldnt find my mum or dad so I decided to walk around the whole walk, only I set off the other way to last time. There wasnt much happening but then, as I was about to enter the woodland part of the walk, I saw a quick tail flutter and a flash of red on the gate post and realised I had a male redstart again. I got some smashing views of the bird as it skipped between trees. Eventually it flew into the top trees, about 10 meters high, and I was pushed for time so I had to leave. I have only ever seen adult male redstarts which are the most stunning, but don't offer much in the way of identification challenges. never mind, they are simply stunning birds.
-Adult male redstart
What a great last bird of the holiday, well I say last bird, but actually it wasnt the last bird I saw, because on my woodland walk I spootted a chiffchaff and I also saw a pied wagtail on the lakeside, so a great end to a great holiday.
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