October 6th - Looks like it's been a month since I was last up here for a wander, the N Ireland trip and bad weather has interfered a little I guess but, it felt good to be back and nice and early, not another soul around.
It's a bit cold and dank today but not raining and I'm dressed for it, just not the best light for good photos but, who knows right?
I heard quite a bit of small bird activity around the car park and as I set off up the trail but not a great deal showing, too early? It's only 08:30.
Do Chaffinch have the ability to change size? I ask because every time I think I see something distant and grab a shot or two, it's a Chaffinch, well, not every time but quite often. I really do need to get a better pair of binoculars.
See! A Chaffinch.
On up the track, not much going on at all but I'm thoroughly enjoying the walk, I did spot a raptor, probably a Kestrel heading up the loch following the near shore.
Sure enough, as I approach the picnic bench area, there's a Kestrel in the trees tops surveying its surroundings so, grab a shot, walk grab a ...... bugger. Gone!
I stopped by the picnic bench for a while just looking and listening but very little happening at all, so on I went through the gate and on.
That's where I started seeing more bird life, Meadow Pipits popping up all around and a good few Stonechat!
Stonechat on the fence
I kept walking, it was a bit chilly out in the open but the birds kept popping up all around me. The wind was making it awkward to hold the long lens steady, I really must carry the tripod. There seem to be a lot of younger birds around.
I was walking, watching and grabbing shots when I felt it was worth it, it was only when I got home and uploaded the images to the Mac that I spotted this.
Reed Bunting female
Reed Bunting female
I was pretty chuffed, I'd captured what I took to be a Meadow Pipit in the short time she was visible only to discover this lovely female Reed Bunting.
Meadow Pipit on a fence post
I've also found that the Stonechats appear to be way more visible this time of year but I still think it's harder to get shots of a female?
Stonechat female on a weed stem
Female Stonechat on the fence
I'd almost reached the second gate and I was seeing Stonechats everywhere, stopped to watch a group of them around the gate area before I moved up to the gate itself, see if they stayed around.
They did!
Did I say shots of female Stonechats were harder to get?
I'd stepped over the very wet ditch and climbed the bank, now partly hidden by fencing but with the wire to rest my lens on.
Well, was that a good move?
Stonechat male
Stonechat male on the wire
The group, family? of birds I'd seen stayed in the area and popped up right in front of me or very nearby for quite a while, I got cold first!
Stonechat female
Stonechat female
October 9th - After the collection of shots I got on the 6th I wanted to head back up and see if I could improve on them, the sun was trying to shine today so, off I went.
I didn't get very far before a photo opportunity presented itself in the shape of three female Pheasant running up the lane in front of my car so, I slowed, stopped and whipped out the big boy. (Long lens)
A young Roe deer ran ahead of me but disappeared into the undergrowth quickly so, on to the reservoir.
We'd had a "bit of rain" in the last few days, flooding all over the place but, the road to the reservoir was pretty clear just the usual ocean sized puddle as you enter the car park.
There were eight or nine cars already there, I was a bit later than usual and they turned out to be a group of wild swimmers and hadn't ventured further than a few hundred yards, shame though, the water was like glass without them in the water.
So I headed off up the track as usual, not a great deal going on in fact VERY quiet indeed, I think I was about half way up before I spotted anything but, I did hear something different, a harsh coughing, barking sound coming from up or over the hill. When I got to the new logging road, I headed up the left hand track.
Large White butterfly on pine.
As I neared the top of the hill I slowed down knowing that I'd be on the horizon to anything on the other side, the sun was coming out as well and that was behind me.
A Red deer stag and his harem lay on the opposite hillside, lounging in the sun, I guess I'd heard him barking, great to see them all, a first for me up here. I watched a while, had a scan around then back down to the main track.
I did see a small flock of Thrush-like birds heading up the reservoir but couldn't ID them. As I walked on I spotted the Kestrel on the top of the pines again and eventually got close enough, in fact the same spot, but he was gone and I didn't see him again on this walk.
As I passed through the first gate I spotted a Buzzard, well camouflaged against the trees in the background, it stayed there as I walked by and back again!
Buzzard on a dead tree
Buzzard on a dead tree
There were a few Meadow Pipits around, not as many as seen before but, always nice to see and photograph.
Meadow Pipit caught mid preen
It was only as I walked back down the trail, just passing the new logging road, that I spotted the Mistle Thrushes in a Leylandii
Mistle Thrush
Mistle Thrush watching me
There really was not much going on, lots of Chaffinches around, a few brown jobs flitting about but nothing to write about.
The Fly Agaric are out in force just now though and I spotted more and more as I walked by the pines. I'm going to keep the fungi for their own page I think, meanwhile, still in October
