In my post, last week, I featured the dragonflies and damselflies I saw on Thursday 22nd September. At the end of that post, I said that my next post would feature the non-dragon aspects of that visit. Well, here we go!
Along the hedgerow on which I saw several Migrant Hawker dragonflies, there were also several Comma butterflies - all in quite good condition.
 |
| Comma (Polygonia c-album) - Rutland Water, Egleton Reserve |
Further on, by the start of the track that leads to Shoveler Hide, there were four Red Admirals on the gate, and a couple more on nearby fence posts.
 |
| Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) - Rutland Water, Egleton Reserve |
I then went into Shoveler Hide, where there was a Green Sandpiper in the water at the end of the bar that runs in front of the hide.
 |
| Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus) - Rutland Water, Egleton Reserve |
Of greater interest to me, however, was the Great White Egret which was somewhat further away.
 |
| Great White Egret (Ardea alba) - Rutland Water, Egleton Reserve |
This bird was busy fishing, and with some considerable success too!
 |
| Great White Egret (Ardea alba) - Rutland Water, Egleton Reserve |
I noticed that, after catching a fish, it tended to do a bit of a shake of the neck as if it was trying to help its dinner down the hatch! On one occasion, it did this to the extreme!
 |
| Great White Egret (Ardea alba) - Rutland Water, Egleton Reserve |
I think that last one was a burp!!
I took a few more shots of the GWE before it disappeared round the corner. It's amazing how long that neck can look sometimes! I was cussing at the box being in the way for that last one.
 |
| Great White Egret (Ardea alba) - Rutland Water, Egleton Reserve |
I went to the next hide (Buzzard Hide) to see if the GWE had arrived in sight there, but it hadn't, so I returned to Shoveler Hide to find the GWE was back, and a Little Egret had also appeared. I spent half an hour or more, hoping that the two egrets would end up close to each other for the 'comparison shot', but it didn't happen. This is the closest, and the light was difficult, to say the least!
 |
| Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) and Great White Egret (Ardea alba) - Rutland Water, Egleton Reserve |
It was now time to start heading back as I had a potential Barn Owl site to stake out from a distant hillside, whilst consuming a late picnic tea.
Heading back to the car, I took some more shots of dragonflies, and a Comma butterfly in the low late-afternoon sun.
 |
| Comma (Polygonia c-album) - Rutland Water, Egleton Reserve |
It's just occurred to me that it's not often one can write a report which starts and ends with a Comma, as well as a Capital and Full-Stop!!!
So that's two posts on the subject of 22nd September. I believe this date will also feature in my next post, which I hope will be about recent owl sightings!
Thank you for dropping by.
Wow, love the fishing shot it is great, your photos are really top notch, I am impressed with the skill you have required. Having said that all the photos are good but the fishing one got me :-) Wish I could take photos like that (sigh).
ReplyDeleteYou said about living in a concrete jungle, I could not do it, and a few days of sight seeing is more than enough for me. Give me the countryside any time. Thankfully the rest of our visit to the USA was totally different except for a few hours in Vegas that were a few too long!
Have a good week Diane
Thank you, Diane. It's very kind of you to praise my photos, but please don't belittle your own skills. Although you normally shoot very different subjects to those I shoot, the quality of your photography exceeds my own abilities by a long way!
DeleteI'm still waiting for my week to pick up here - so far it's been the pits! I hope that yours is going better! Best wishes - - - Richard
WOW! That ias a smashing series of the Great Egret fishing and dear love him, he cought such a small fish
ReplyDeleteThank you, Margaret. It might have been a small fish, but the bird made up for it with the quantity he was catching!
DeleteHi Richard, well again another wonderful post and you have managed images of the GWE catching a fish. They are not easy birds to get a decent image of due to the tendency for burn out, it would help if they would come that bit closer but we are never satisfied. The Green Sandpiper is such a lovely wader but like me you missed out on the Wood. All the best and see you tomorrow. John
ReplyDeleteHi John. Thanks for your comments. I see that I was shooting at an exposure compensation factor of -1. This, coupled with the tendency to get under-exposure due to the camera compensating for the largely white subject, meant that I was considerably under-exposing and able to make suitable (for me, anyway!) adjustments in the post-processing.
DeleteSee you tomorrow - pity about the forecast for windy weather!
Amazing post Richard,loved the Great White Egret fishing shots,brilliant action captures.
ReplyDeleteJohn.
Thank you, John. We're lucky here in that there have been 3 GWEs at Rutland Water for a couple of months now. It's not often that I go there without seeing one. In ten years time I reckon they'll be a common as Little Egrets are now!
DeleteBest wishes to you and Sue - - - Richard
Hey Richard! How great pictures! We graduating in the winter. Trees and bushes will soon all the leaves gone, and the weather is cooler.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Anne. We can see that winter is coming here too, although it will not, with any luck(!), be as cold and dark as yours.
DeleteA giant of the Great White Egret, it is so large compared to the Little Egret.
ReplyDeleteThey certainly are large, Bob, but a fabulous bird. At Rutland Water it seems that they sometimes get into conflict with Grey Herons!
DeleteGreat series of photographs, Richard. I suspect your comments about the Great Egret are spot on. Twenty years ago a Great Egret was a relatively rare species here, but that is no longer the case.There are several breeding colonies throughout the province and I am sure their numbers will continue to increase. It is a majestic bird and we welcome their expansion.
ReplyDeleteThank you, David. It only took about ten years for Little Egret to get from 'uncommon' to 'omnipresent' here, which is behind my reckoning that the GWE will do likewise. I too will welcome their presence.
DeleteI'd like to think the GWE was burping too :-) I like the one with it's neck all ruffled
ReplyDeleteI reckon that one with the twisted and fluffed neck is my favourite too, Doug!
DeleteI hope that all is well with you. A post from you is long overdue!
Best wishes - - - Richard
lovely to see your butterflies, it might be a very long time until i see them here again.
ReplyDeletewonderful photos of the egret.
Thank you, Tammie. We still have a few species of butterfly around, but probable not for many more days now. Those that survive will be hibernating soon.
DeleteSorry its been a while since I called in and left any comments buddy, I'm slowly getting back into the groove..... I can see from your recent posts you have been very busy with all manner of things, BUT, your GWE images in your most recent post are outstanding, possibly the best set I have ever seen of this species.
ReplyDeleteNo need to appologise, Paul, I know that you've been very busy with your owl box project. Thank you for your kind comment.
DeleteI've really not been spending as much time with the owls as I ought to, but started feeling rather more inspired a week or so ago, and hope to be concentrating on them a bit more now.
Keep up the good work - - - Richard
Hi Richard,
ReplyDeletea nice post with butterflies. The Comma you have to shoot very beautiful. The series of beautiful great egret is really fantasist itself. There are really super nice pictures between. Beautiful bright and beautiful details. I love these animals :-)
Groejtes, Helma
Thank you so much for your very kind words, Helma.
DeleteBest wishes - - - Richard