Back in Devon now and looking through my photos, here are a few that stood out as interesting. As mentioned before, the Short Eared Owl was a great find and If I had time I would make every effort to get a lot better photos but as I literally stumbled upon this one then I have to be pleased with what I have already.
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I mentioned that last Wednesday I had watched, what at the time I believed to be, a family of Red Grouse walking on the track to the Reservoir. Well back home and after having a really good look at the images I am pleased to report yet another species for the trip, a Grey Partridge. This bird is probably chuffed that it is not a Grouse as tomorrow is the start of the shooting calendar and being a Grouse on the Yorkshire Moors is a serious position to find yourself in!
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This was a family group and as you can see from the photos which incidentally have been heavily "developed" in photoshop to extract the very best from the rather poor images, a total of 9, 8 youngsters and the mother hen.
.Grey Partridge are in serious decline so to get this photo and see that they have bred so successfully as well is a real coup.
At the top of the little lane seen in the photo, was a bog pool which contained several Common Hawker Dragonflies. I tried really hard to get some nice photos and took several which I am more than pleased with. They are hard to get in flight like this but it proves that the investment in new equipment was worth it. It is the first time that I have been able to get such good shots of Dragonflies in flight like this.
At the top of the little lane seen in the photo, was a bog pool which contained several Common Hawker Dragonflies. I tried really hard to get some nice photos and took several which I am more than pleased with. They are hard to get in flight like this but it proves that the investment in new equipment was worth it. It is the first time that I have been able to get such good shots of Dragonflies in flight like this.
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My main reason for the visit to this reservoir was to try and photograph Twite, a very scarce finch in England but at this site there is a known breeding population. Having now completed their breeding they have dispersed a little around the other hills and moorland locally but in July they were/are very commonly seen. I took a few photos of what I thought at the time were Twite. They are very, very similar to Linnets particularly hen Linnets and to be really honest I am not sure if this next photo is a Twite or a female Linnet, I am leaning towards the latter and have not added Twite to my list of species seen this year which incidentally stands at 193!
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Whilst photographing Twite, or trying to that is, Meadow Pipits were constantly showing themselves. I am not averse to sitting in my hide for several hours just waiting. This can be a bit dreary, a bit like watching Derby County, mostly boring but every now and then a bit of excitement, and well worth the lousy bits. Some of my images of Meadow Pipit for this trip were really good and I really like this one. The background is really pretty.
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The next one was interesting because it shows the fleshy gape of a newly fledged juvenile. This one perched on the wall literally 7 paces from the hide because afterwards I paced it out. What an absolute shame that the wire from the fence seems to go straight through the body.
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Then as I walked around the Reservoir on the Saturday of my visit this one perched on the post in front of me and with the light just in the right place I got one shot. The camera was on a tripod but I held the camera without putting the legs down. The result, though not 100% sharp is quite pleasing. Can you see how this bird is in a post-juvenile moult? This bird is one from earlier in the season and proves that breeding of Meadow Pipit is very successful on the moors around Huddersfield.
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Old Moor RSPB is a good success story for the RSPB, it is smack in the middle of housing estates, shopping centres and disused factories but seems to be a massive reclaimed area which the RSPB is justifiably proud. It attracts lots of visitors to the shop, children's play area and cafe which would not be out of place in the West End of London. I guess this is making "big-bucks" for the RSPB and as long as it is all ploughed back in to conservation then why not. I am suspicious and it is all that I dislike about the RSPB. For Birds….. well yes perhaps, for People ……. ? But certainly to make lots of wanga. I suppose we just have to get used to the fact that without them then this refuge wouldn't exist, probably best to concentrate on the positive things. However it is a sad day when the quality of a reserve is judged by the quality of facilities on offer and not the contribution to conservation.
I took this lovely Coot photograph who certainly couldn't care less that the coffee came in three cup sizes and was "Fair-Trade"
I took this lovely Coot photograph who certainly couldn't care less that the coffee came in three cup sizes and was "Fair-Trade"
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Incidentally, this reserve has a small population of Willow Tit, a rare bird indeed here in Devon. I watched one visiting the feeders and have to say that I was pleased with that. From a distance and in fact even close up, telling Marsh Tit from Willow is almost impossible. The very well informed and friendly warden told me that they do not have Marsh Tit here so any Marsh/Willow Tit are bound to be Willow.
When I had been there earlier in July, I had seen several of the reserve's Tree Sparrow but on this visit there wasn't one to be seen.
Wildlife in a Suburban Garden 
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