Whooper Swans at Deeping Lakes NR

2 Adults and a juvenile

Long-eared Owl at Deeping Lakes NR

It's that time of year again when there is a roosting Long-eared Owl on the island at Deeping Lakes nature reserve in south Lincolnshire and once again it is a nightmare to see and photograph. The above photograph is obviously pretty well cropped, but the bird can be picked out by looking up and to the left from the piece of wood at the bottom of the photo, useful when viewing the island from the hide which is at quite a distance!

Great Northern Diver at Maxey

Things have been a bit hectic in the Saunders household over the past month. My wife went into hospital a couple of weeks before Christmas for a hip operation and so consequently she has been my main priority (she always is, but you know what I mean!) and birds etc were put on the back burner. I have been helping her with her job by walking dogs, house-sitting and doing my own job at the same time, so obviously haven't had much time for anything else. That was until the New Year.

A Glossy Ibis was reported on New Year's Eve at Deeping Lakes, but I couldn't add it to my 2013 list as I was erstwhile engaged. The bird, however was still present on the 1st, so was a good way to start 2014. Saturday 4th January arrived, wet and horrible, but with it a phone call from Mike Weedon to say that he had found a Great Northern Diver at the same Deeping Lakes, a Peterborough Bird Club lifer for me and the first in the area for 10 years. A quick dash to the area without binoculars or scope and I was getting my first glimpse of this bird through another birders optics, number 211 for the PBC area. A little later and I was walking a couple of dogs and I received another phone call from Mike to say that another Great Northern Diver had been seen at Maxey fishing pits, but I had to wait to see this bird. The following day, I managed to see it, this time with my own optics and managed to get the above shot. This bird is still present, enabling a lot of local birders to 'enjoy' a local rarity and I have even got my digiscoping gear out again for when the bird is a bit too distant for my 300mm lens, which has lead to getting the shot below.

Everything is settling down a bit now, the patient is making a good recovery and my 2014 local list is off to a flyer, three local rarities (the Ibis, Diver and the Great Grey Shrike is still at Holme) kicking off another attempt at breaking that elusive 180 mark.

Spot the Owl(s)

After going through the photos from yesterday once more, just hoping for a slightly better shot, I noticed this one that I had taken in which both Long-eared Owls are visible (sort of!).

Just to give you a better idea of what Chris and I were faced with in order to see these two owls I am showing you a photo of the island on which the owls are roosting.

This was taken from the hide and gives you an idea of the distance and foliage involved. If you click on the above image you will possibly be able to see a white or pale piece of wood sticking out of the water on the right hand side of the left island, go upwards and to the left at about a 45 degree angle and that is where the birds are roosting. You will also see from the clicked on image an Osprey platform, complete with ready built nest, built in the hope that an Osprey will nest. Personally, I think this may prove in vain, but I would love to be proven wrong.

Spot the Owl

Long-eared Owls are notorious for roosting in dense shrubbery, thus leading to less than spectacular views. The two at Deeping Lakes this afternoon were no exception, leading to the above photo, just to show you how hard they are to pick out. Imagine trying to view something that is camouflaged, dead still and at a distance of at least 200 metres, then you begin to get the idea. As I said, there were two of these birds roosting on the same island that hosted a pair last year, presumably the same birds.

Is this any better? This was taken as a digiscoped effort with Chris's camera through my scope. I suppose that it's closer, if nothing else.