Bloody wind

I hate the wind, it makes me tired, blows my garden plants over and last night broke one of my plant pots with a Japanese Maple in it, another £40 down the pan to replace it. Above all it's hopless trying to get bird images in the wind, but I was getting stir crazy as I had not been out all week, mainly due to issues with the Ma-in-Law again although the weather has not helped. So I decided to venture out and see what might be about, at first I thought I may visit Rutland water Europe's largest man made reservoir but decided instead it would be The Eyebrook resevoir nestling on the borders of three counties – Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire it is a place I got to know quite intimately in the 1970's and 80's. I spent many hours fly fishing for trout in the month's of April, May and June as this was the traditional close season for course fish, so I turned my attention to trout. One important point of interest is that the RAF used to use the water for low level flying in 1943 only when the 'dambusters' raid by the pilots of 617 squadron had taken place could they be told why it was so important.

The Eyebrook

I made my way around to the lodge which in my day consisted of a small office a w/c and a room where we used to have a fry up, we always took a camping stove with us it could be very cold at times. Today there is a fully stocked tackle shop, in the purpose built lodge and a function room. I was reminded of the times afloat there as I watched a couple of anglers just leaving the boat jetty, I thought you must be mad going out in winds like this, but remembered when my fishing mate of the time and I got caught in a storm on the Eyebrook.

Be careful lads

The day started fine then on the horizon a large black cloud came over the water, within 30 seconds we were in trouble, being battered by the huge waves hitting our rowing boat, all the bank anglers on the Leicester bank had made it to the safe haven of Robbo's hut, a small shed names after one of the Bailiffs at the time. I have to say we were lucky that day, and so grateful to hit the bank, it turns out that on entering Robbo's hut they had been betting on if we would survive. It might have been nice if one of them had raised the alarm, but I guess in the days before mobile phones one of the miserable sods would have had to get wet.

Any birds I did see were mainly water species, lots of Swans and Ducks of varies sorts and a huge number of Great Crested Grebes, I don't think I have ever seen so many at one time, unfortunately they were at distance and too far for a decent image. Making my way to the Stoke Dry end of the reservoir I parked next to the bridge, the Eye Brook flows underneath, looking over the parapet I saw a family of ducks, Mum and chicks, a nice site in the midday sun, seems they were sheltering from the strong wind.

A welcome site for me today

I have to say by now the wind was doing my head in and was glad to be in the shelter of the car, I decided to leave the Eyebrook for a return on a calmer day and set off for my patch, just as I turned to head for Uppingham I saw a couple of Green Woodpeckers, a species that continues to elude me, a very wary bird, I slowed down and pulled over, they nearly did a runner then but continued to feed on whatever it was they had found, probably ants. I snook out of the car and aimed my camera at them, into the sun again, bugger, but hey I had two Green Woodpeckers in my view finder, a quick couple of shots as a record now to get nearer.

Record Shot

I inched my way closer trying not to alert them in any way, I was close enough to get a decent shot even though the light was wrong, lifting the camera to my eye I focus and frame the two Woody's, just as I was about to press the shutter, up pops White van prat, sounded his horn at me and drove off into the distance, yes you guessed it the Woody's had gone.
As I arrived at the lane that leads to my place I saw and image that at first glance had me worried, I thought I had spotted Jak and her Mum looking into a hedgerow, turns out I need not have worried.



Don't you be telling her when you see her. A quick look down the patch I saw three of the baby Kes's, looking so mature already, topped up the food and back home, ready for a nap after all that wind.