1st August - Fishlake Meadows, Hampshire

Having left Shipton Bellinger, we decided to drop into Fishlake Meadows once again with the hope that the Osprey could be a little closer.  From the car park we walked to the new viewpoint, scanned and found nothing.  Common Terns were flying around and there were Swallows and Swifts hawking low over the water, but there was no sign of one Osprey, let alone two that were reported the day before.

We then tried the older viewpoint that was just along the road.  Here the view is much restricted but still no sign of any Osprey.  We walked along the road to check the dead trees viewable near the river, again nothing.  With little to lose we decided to walk along the canal path where there was a better chance of scanning across the while reserve.

We didn't make it to the first viewing platform because Ian picked up an Osprey distantly over the trees, it was mobbed by gulls and drifted away towards the river and went out of sight.  Almost immediately another Osprey appeared closer from the line of dead trees, it immediately attracted the attention of a Lesser Black-backed Gull that followed it as it headed towards the dead trees that line the back of the main expanse of water.

It flew to one of the dead trees and settled at the top.

We made our way to the first viewing area where we found the Osprey sitting in a different tree, but still doing nothing.

A Great Egret flew low over the water and a little later was joined by another.

Without any warning it took off and this time flew much closer, eventually sitting in one of trees in the line of dead trees that were closest to the view point.

Immediately it drew the attention of the Common Terns.

And the Osprey sat there, doing nothing once again, but look around.

But also continuing to be photo bombed by Swifts.

And then a House Martin.

And yet another Swift.

We decided that the Osprey would be closer from the next view point so made our way there.

It was slightly closer.

A few wobbles provided some different positions.

But it never really moved much from the same image.

Cropped closer image.

Then again it flew, this time to the left of the view point and out of sight.  We waited and searched but it didn't show, so we decided to walk along the road again to check the trees viewable near the river.  As we did so, it started to rain.  There was no sign of the Osprey anywhere, just a few Cormorants and a couple of Woodpigeon.

The rain was quite heavy and after sheltering under the trees returned to the old view point, where the Osprey was back on the same dead tree, apparently having returned about five minutes before us.

Then it was off again, heading back to the distant tree we had seen it on earlier.

And once again it sat there doing nothing.

It was time to leave and we did so with the Osprey on the same perch.  It had come a little closer today, and the photos were a little better, the season has just begun and I am sure there will be plenty more opportunities in the next few weeks.