Redstart

Having had a long and busy day yesterday it was great to slip between clean sheets having put myself through the Mouse Wash. I slept like a Door Mouse, so did I change species over night? I was not up early enough to film the behaviour of the birds on my feeders, but I have time to do that soon. But I was up early enough to go and see if I could see the Otter on the river.

I set the camera up and was ready should she return. While I was waiting, I spotted a bird that I previously have only seen briefly before. It was further up the river so I could not film him from my position. Checking the time window, I decided that I could risk wandering up the river to get a better view of the Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus.

I was glad to move a little and walk about as I was in danger of getting cramp. Just with the binoculars I could see the Redstart was feeding on insects that appeared to be emerging from by the banks of the River. I returned to get the camera but as I went to pick it up, there was the Otter. I stayed with the Otter even though she had disappeared behind the pillar of the bridge. Had I been on the other side of the river she would have still been in view, but I was in the position I was so all I could do was wait. While it does not happen every day, the Otter or Otters if she has young, are frequently seen under the bridge during the winter if the water level is low enough. It is rare to see her here in the spring or summer as there is to much disturbance. I waited for twenty minutes or so, then I saw what could have been the otter swimming off under the surface. I set the camera rolling and moved of to see if I could spot the otter but I could not.

She had moved from under the bridge, I could see that clearly. Perhaps if I had not gone back to collect the camera I would have found her again, but I would probably have now been posting about having lost the camera. Well I got some boring footage of a flowing river!

I went back to where I had seen the Redstart but he was gone too. Well in the words of an old Genesis song, Some you loose and some you loose.