21 October 2023 - Hollingworth Lake

« Newer   |   Older »

Great White Egret, 2 Ring Ouzels, Kingfisher, Redwings, Fieldfares

Yesterday was a total washout due to Storm Babet, but this morning was dry, though a little dull. It did prove to be quite interesting though.  Just as I was walking along Rakewood Road above Ealees Valley, I noticed a bird coming high towards me from the south, and putting the bins on it showed it to be a Great White Egret.  This is the first one I've managed to see here this year; I missed one by a few minutes a couple of months ago.  I watched it fly over the road, then it began to circle over the top of Ealees Valley.  A couple of times it tried to land in the fields, where there were some floodwater patches, but it seemed quite jittery.  Once it was chased off by a Carrion Crow, and a second time it landed then took off again straight away.  It did land in the top of a Hawthorn for a minute or so, before taking off and circling again, and then gradually disappeared into the distance towards Blackstone Edge.

As I reached the reserve, I scanned from the road and could see a Kingfisher perched in the willows by the water's edge, but it was quite distant and partially obscured, so the photos aren't really worth publishing.

I carried on around the Lake, where quite a few Redwings were in evidence, along with the odd Fieldfare, but not much else.  When I got to the top of Turnough I could hear a 'chak-chak' call from a bush nearby and saw a Blackbird-like bird very briefly, though it was very furtive.  After a few minutes the bird in question took off and flew across the valley. I was fairly sure I could see paler patches in the wings, but still wasn't 100% certain that it was anything to get excited about.  However I then started to scan the bushes on the far side of the valley which were full of Redwings and Fieldfares.  I suddenly then spotted a male Ring Ouzel, and nearby a female (or more likely a juvenile) in the same bush.

I quickly took some rather distant record shots and put the word out, but despite sticking around for another half an hour or more, couldn't relocate them.

 

Great White Egret , 1/500 sec, f/7.1, 472 mm, ISO 200 (view full size image)

Great White Egret , 1/500 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 800 (view full size image)

Ring Ouzels, 1/60 sec, f/7.1, 500 mm, ISO 160 (view full size image)