2021......a Tortoise in lockdown hibernation?

[Zim Girl]

I feel your pain Dave.  We are plagued by rats most years.  They dig holes under our pond banking and we have to take all the bird feeders in overnight.  They are very bold and will let you get quite close before running away.  We have all types of traps but usually only can catch the young ones in the humane ones, the adults are too wily.  We always have to resort to poison to finish them off.  Luckily we generally find the poisoned ones so we can dispose of them.  We still have one running around at the moment that is evading us.

[michael-ibk]

Beautiful Kingfisher, but the Dotterel is even better. A bird very, very high up my list, still have yet to see them.

[shazdwn]

On 5/7/2021 at 3:54 AM, Dave Williams said:

I have now resorted to poison 

 

Unfortunately our neighbour likes to poison the rats, we currently have a distinctly 'somethings dead' smell near our front door which we suspect is one of the victims but can't find the body.  

[Dave Williams]

Just got back from a trip in our ancient but fairly luxurious touring caravan staying in a woodland caravan site very close to Derwentwater in the English Lake District. It's an area of outstanding natural beauty and has been the inspiration of artists, writers and poets including the most famous of them all, William Wordsworth.

I was hoping to get some additional summer visitors for my BY but also knew there would be a couple of bankers I wouldn't get locally .

I was hoping to hit the 100 mark by my return.

95) Barnacle Goose

Barnacle Goose.   Branta leucopsis by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

This is the top end of derwentwater in the Lake District NP.

Derwentwater, Lake District NP. by Dave Williams, on Flickr

If you look very carefully at the left end of the distant woods there's a tiny white dot. That's the only give away that its a caravan site! Just 59 pitches, most taken by motorhomes which seems to be everyone's preference nowadays. The site is a wild life reserve in it's own right although I spent no time trying to capture any images of the resident Red Squirrels or any of the bird life.

Stepping out of the site there are acres of woodland, marshland and grasslands which attract a variety of birds as well as Roe Deer too.

One of my top targets was 96)Goosander with chicks but it seems I was much too early. By the end of my stay the females appeared to have disappeared, probably to sit on eggs, leaving only the males on the open water. Here in North Wales we have one of the best spots around to photograph this species as they actually come to bread or even chips thrown by tourists during the winter months. I was after a different experience but they are not the most confiding of birds elsewhere it seems.

Two males fishing.

Goosander.  Mergus merganser by Dave Williams, on Flickr

and an incredibly big fish is taken by one of them.

Goosander.  Mergus merganser by Dave Williams, on Flickr

The closest I got to getting a decent shot was this one! I had been about from 6.00am and from a distance I saw this pair heading towards an inlet where I knew I had them "trapped" but also had plenty of cover for me to get my shots. I couldn't believe my luck or lack of when two people with a canoe suddenly appeared at the same place and the birds about turned before I could get in to position. They were the only people I'd seen in 90 minutes..what timing!

Goosander.  Mergus merganser by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Edited May 21, 2021 by Dave Williams

[elefromoz]

17 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

staying in a woodland caravan site very close to Derwentwater in the English Lake District. 

That sounds just beautiful. It must feel so good getting away again after all this time. That is a huge Fish for that Bird.  

Oh dear, its unbelievable how often a person(s) or Dog(s) turn up at the worst time possible. So much for the calming, relaxing hobby of Birdwatching. 

[Zim Girl]

Great that you made it to the Lakes @Dave Williams.  Is that the site at Manesty near Grange?  Whereabouts did you see the Barnacle geese - great photo!

[PeterHG]

It looks like a great area to spend some time! 

[Galana]

Looks like an idyllic site. If I caravanned it's the sort of place I would stay. Red Squirrels too. Can't be bad.

[Kitsafari]

I love the lake district. how tranquil and peaceful the lakes always looked, although plenty of photobombing from tourists (myself included i should add) - in the old days. 

 

 

[Dave Williams]

9 hours ago, Zim Girl said:

Great that you made it to the Lakes @Dave Williams.  Is that the site at Manesty near Grange?  Whereabouts did you see the Barnacle geese - great photo!

Yep, the Manesty site.... the Barnacle geese are hard to miss. They don't appear to have any goslings yet though unlike the Greylag and Canada geese.

[Galana]

1 hour ago, Dave Williams said:

the Barnacle geese are hard to miss.

How many were there? Odd to be still in Britain in mid May and inland on Derwentwater..

Edited May 21, 2021 by Galana

[Soukous]

8 hours ago, Galana said:

How many were there? Odd to be still in Britain in mid May and inland on Derwentwater..

 

We have a feral flock/population of Barnacle Geese in East Suffolk. I got very excited when I first saw them but was then told they are always here. Could be something similar.

[Dave Williams]

@GalanaThe Barnacles breed at Derwentwater Fred. They seem to be later than the Canada and Greylags who already have goslings hatched.This shot was June the 6th 2019

Barnacle Goose  Branta leucopsis by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

Another easily seen locally in North Wales but here's one from the Derwentwater, 97)Grey Heron

 

Grey Heron. Ardea cinerea by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

98) Lesser Redpoll

Lesser Redpoll    Acanthis cabaret by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

99)Tree Pipit

Tree Pipit   Anthus trivialis by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

100) Red-breasted Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser.  Mergus serrator. by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Tdgraves]

Congrats on the century @Dave Williams

 

[Galana]

Congratulations from me too. Interesting about the Barnacles breeding at Derwentwater.

[xelas]

Congratulations, Dave! 

 

And once again, congratulations! This time for your team winning you chances to see best of European football next season.

Edited May 23, 2021 by xelas

[Soukous]

100 not out. great effort.

[PeterHG]

Congratulations on #100, Dave! Beauties again in the last batch.

[Kitsafari]

Congrats on the 100th and a brilliant image of the merganser - which i've never seen before - and its reflection. 

[Peter Connan]

Congratulations! Lovely shots.