Out At Last! - on 4th November, 2022

Having not been out with my camera since returning from the Isles of Scilly on 3rd October, I resolved to put things right. The weather forecast this day was for sunny periods in the afternoon. I had some chores to perform in the morning, but just to check that the camera was still working, I took a shot of a Goldfinch outside my study window - it was a poor shot, but not a total failure.

Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) - garden on 4th November, 2022

After an early lunch, I set off for Kelham Bridge - a local reserve, managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust. I arrived to find numerous cars on site, making it obvious that the Wildlife Trust were busy here, although it was not immediately obvious where. The situation became rather more apparent, however, as I got nearer to the first hide. There was a sizeable team of volunteers strimming and clearing the land round the first pool - no point in lingering there!

As I neared the first hide, I was surprised to see a Common Darter dragonfly briefly alight on a branch beside me and disappear before I could raise my camera. I was not expecting to see dragonflies this late in the year.

At the hide, I found three other people present. They informed me that they'd been seeing almost nothing for a couple of hours or more and, indeed, they gave up and departed around half an hour after my arrival. By this time, I had just seen a Moorhen and attempted to photograph a very distant Little Grebe, the results from which I will not bother you with here!

After about another half hour I was joined by a gentleman, and soon after his arrival I was photographing a rather pale Moorhen and thinking its colours, if it was lurking in the growth at the edge of the pool and only partly visible, might easily be mistaken for a Water Rail.

Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) - Kelham Bridge NR

The Moorhen had dipped back into the growth at the side of the pool and a few minutes later I noticed movement about half a metre nearer than where it had entered, and briefly saw what I was relatively convinced WAS a Water Rail. There was, however, that small nagging element of doubt. 

After what seemed like an eternity, but was probably only about quarter of an hour, the Water Rail popped its head out enough for a few shots before dipping back in again.

Water Rail (Rallus aquaticus) - Kelham Bridge NR

Sadly, although I'd alerted my companion to its showing, he was at the wrong angle to see it. He moved into a more favourable position and we waited for quite some time before it shot out of the undergrowth, in flight, and disappeared into the vegetation on the far side of the pool. I'm relatively sure that I have not seen a Water Rail in flight before - but then I would probably not be sure I'd seen one if it shot past me at that speed!

We waited, hoping it would return, but it didn't, and my companion left after a while, commending me on my patience. In reality, patience didn't really come into it - I was just enjoying being out in the countryside, even if not much was happening.

I did take a few other shots and, with the exception of the Mallards which stayed at the far end of the pool and I didn't bother with, these next shots represent the only other species that I saw to photograph from this hide.

Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) - Kelham Bridge NR

Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) - Kelham Bridge NR

Wanting to get home before dark in order to put out the moth trap, I headed homeward at around 15.00. As I approached the first hide, it was apparent that the work round that pool had finished so I popped into the hide to have a look. There was little to be seen, but three Pheasant (one male and two females) were appearing as I arrived.

Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) (female) - Kelham Bridge NR

It had been a highly enjoyable trip out, even if few birds were seen, and the Water Rail (a species that I rarely see) had been a real bonus.

That night, the moth trap only presented two moths. Both were Light Brown Apple Moths - the most common by far micro-moth from our garden.

 

I have been out once, since that day, but this was not a successful excursion, so I have no idea as I write this as to what and when my next blog post will be.

In the meantime, take good care of yourselves and Nature. Thank you for dropping by - - - Richard