Morning Out Before The Monsoon

Elton Reservoir - 15.12.20

With the imminent arrival of mega amounts of rain for probably for the remainder of the week I thought I check up on the long staying Scaup on Elton Reservoir to see how it's plumage is evolving. Its only a six mile or so drive to Elton and better still only a short walk to where I intend to set up on the edge of a small inlet called the "Creek" but as I mention previously I first have to navigate my way across what's now becoming Bury's biggest bog.

The light looks good, not too much sun light cloud and light winds and I'm looking forward to see what's on offer for the session. The Scaup is pretty much where it's been hanging around over the last few weeks in a small creek associating with a Tufted Duck which it seems to find some reassurance, well my appearance quickly puts pay to that and they both venture off to the middle of the reservoir, time to setup wait enjoying the sights and sounds of this little bit of countryside with the drum of city life in the background.

The Scaup eventually returns entering right into the creek almost at a point where a few Teal are dabbling around the edge of the vegetation, sat on the bank is a lone Little Egret motionless like a statue for what seems like an hour but my focus is on the Scaup, but occasionally something else catches my attention a Mute Swan involved in all sorts of contortions as it baths, flapping it's wings and bending it's neck in odd angels, I get a few images.

Now the images and more or less the same with several hundred on the card so I decide just watch a bit of old fashion birding, then a couple of dog walkers appear on the far bank which sets off the alarm bells sending the Scaup off to join the security of a group of Tufted Duck who wisely are keeping well away as the dog is leaping around. 

I've had the best of the light with the arrival of cloud thats probably a prelude to the rain we are likely to get later this evening. A job done well, see you in a few weeks.

Scaup

Tufted Duck

Coot

Mute Swan

Black Headed Gull

It Looks A Good Day

Elton Reservoir, Bury - 27.11.20

With light cloud and little or no wind I decided it might be worth spending a couple of hour at Elton Res this morning especially now that the Scaup has relocated to area called the "Creek"...why ? well you can get your nose down at water level, not that you'd want to with all the green algae on the waters surface.

It's a short walk past the resident campers on the mound which can't be pleasant at this time of year down to the creek, straight away I pick up the Scaup diving in the entrance to the creek with some Tufted Duck, but the light is wrong on his side so I need make may way across what is now become one of the best swamps in Bury.

On the opposite bank I'm sitting and waiting for the Scaup to move a little closer before I set the gear, first the Tufted Ducks return then the Scaup follows, time to get cracking. Laying on the ground sheet the ground's cold and to make matters worse it's leaking water and my trouser are completely saturated, but I'm happy as the shots look ok, as you can see below.

Greater Scaup

Great Crested Grebe

It Only Lasted an Hour !

Sale Water Park, Manchester - 22.11.20

It's Saturday night and the bird information alert service "pings" stating a Great Northern Diver has been found late afternoon at Sale Water Park in south Manchester, being late afternoon hopefully with no disturbance there's a very good chance it will hang around tomorrow as long as I get there early before all the walkers and joggers start flooding in the park.

Sale Water Park being located right next to the motorway is an easy thirty minuet drive so I've planned to arrive just as the light is good enough for some reasonable camera settings. Sundays mornings traffic free I've arrived on time and the lights is looking good, what not so good is I've just overshot the exit junction...doh !

Parking up there are already a few birders stood on the jetty scanning all in the same direction so I assume all looking at the diver. Having now located the diver I grab the camera gear and head off in the direction of the diver hoping it comes a little closer than the last diver outing at West Kirby Marine lake. After a short walk I needn't have worried as the diver is close in to the bank...panic ! After a few shots the diver moves back in the direction I've just come from. Now back at the jetty and the diver is again close in to the bank, more shots, at times the diver is so close I can't get it all in the frame....close or what !

The diver true to form dives appearing twenty meters always keeping me on the move. Now on the far side of the lake the diver is distant and light direction poor not really giving any further photo opportunities as within ten minuets the diver takes to the air heading off in the direction of Tatton Park to the south.

From my arrival at around 8.10am to when the diver flew off at 9.0am about fifty minuets is a very short session, in fact so short I doubt very few images were taken of the diver. For the few late comers its a missed opportunity seeing a Great Northern Diver rarely see in Manchester at such a close distance and could so easily have been me, so happy I made the effort of an early start.

Great Northern Diver

Pleased that the images below was given a "Notable" images on BirdGuides weekly photo competition, keep em coming. Link......https://www.birdguides.com/articles/photo-of-the-week-18-24-november-2020/

Great Crested Grebe

Little Grebe

It's Elton Again

Elton Reservoir, Bury - 4.11.20

I've seen a few Greater Scaup or just Scaup at Elton Reservoir over the years, a sea duck that breeds in Iceland/Northern Scandinavia and wintering around the coasts of the UK regularly turning up on inland waters, whats unusual about this individual is that it set up residence on part of the reservoir diving and feeding as close as six to ten meters from the surrounding service track, an opportunity not to miss then !

I know exactly where to heading, a bit of a slog from where I park the car through what only can be described as some of the best mud in Bury ! and if not careful can find yourself well and truly on your backside. As I arrive at the location which funny enough is opposite the filed where the Bar-tailed Godwit which is also in residence I see the Scaup diving close by the track i'm looking forward to getting some close images.

Now being sat on the track photographing something to an onlooker has it's downside from the many questions...another cracking pose missed, also walkers with the occasional dog sniffing around your legs, but I suppose thats part and parcel of what we do.

The images below included those taken over several visits the differing light giving the image a slightly different look, some I like better than others, what do you think ?

Greater Scaup 

I've noted the Scaup has a tendency when not sleeping to dive in the same location at one end of the reservoir the only issue is when the sun is behind the cloud the water reflects the white sky, not really the image I was after, on the for side is a tree resplendent in all its autumn glory but it need the sun to make an appearance in oder to reflect the golden yellow colour into the water, its all about waiting !

The next few images were taken a day earlier in quite differing light changing the overall look of the images, I've also used auto white balance which given the images a slightly colder blue look. 

As you will imagine from the many images I have taken quite a lot are repeats of the same pose, I will add or possibly change a few as I review the remainder of the images.

Godwit Local

Elton Resevouir, Bury

It's not so often that a wader that you normally see on the UK coastline turns up inland and thats exactly what this wader has done fifty miles inland on a reservoir in Greater Manchester.

Work in progress...

Bar-tailed Godwit  

Black-headed Gull

No-headed Gull