Nature notes: this week’s nature photography, 14 June 2020

This week it has been all about the fledglings – and a very special raptor sighting.

The weather has been a little better this week than last, although it’s still been a little cool for the time of year. I’ve been seeing fewer adult birds out and about. Most have been obviously engaged in the task of collecting food for chicks.

This week, the chicks fledged from several of the nests in Warblerland – notably the great tits and blue tits. It was a pleasure to watch the fledglings hopping about and finding their wings, learning how to hunt for their own food while in many cases still being fed by raggedy parents.

On Saturday, Hannah and I went to the nature reserve at Gibraltar Point – our first visit for several months. Although the hides are closed, there was still plenty to see, including meadow pipits, skylarks, avocets, whitethroats and sedge warblers, a treecreeper, and – best of all – an osprey! This huge bird of prey swooped over Jackson’s Marsh and caused a huge commotion. Virtually every bird on the mere took off and chased the predator away. I managed to capture a couple of mediocre images of an avocet harrying the osprey. Amazing to see. The nearest breeding location for ospreys is Rutland Water.

Someone from the reserve told me that they get ‘varying numbers of sightings each year, usually spring and autumn on migration. Your view was a typical one, flyover being harassed by local birds. Bit of a bogey bird for myself personally, only seen one at Gib in about 7 years of birding there.’

Smashing stuff. Looking forward to next week’s birding.

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All images © Alex Roddie. All Rights Reserved. Please don’t reproduce these images without permission.