The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Walking across to Boultham mere from my house this morning I flushed a juvenile Osprey from a post by the side of a wheat field (in the area since Saturday). It flew off towards Boultham mere and when I got to the hide it was sat on the depth gauge post out from the hide.
It sat there for about an hour, during which time Mick Welbourn arrived, and then took off and started to hunt over the mere. It had 5 unsuccessful dives before finally catching a Rudd of about 150mm right in front of the hide.
It then flew off towards Swanpool and we left the hide. As we came over the bank we saw a juvenile Marsh Harrier hunting over the fields to the south of the main drain.
We then met Dean Nicholson and John Hayes who had also seen the Osprey and Harrier.
After a chat Mick and I left to go home and Dean and John went to the hide.
As I walked back across the fields I again flushed the Osprey from the same area as before and it flew up towards Swanpool wood carrying it's fish. Suddenly a juvenile Red Kite flew up to the Osprey and started harassing it, no doubt trying to get it to drop the fish.
The two flew up above Swanpool wood and spent about ten minutes flying around together with the Kite harassing the Osprey which was constantly calling.
Eventually the Osprey flew off higher to the northeast and the Red Kite came back down over the fields and flew off west. I had phoned Dean and he and John came out of the hide and saw this great display. Mick had also seen it from further down the drain.
A superb morning and the Red Kite takes me to 113 for my patch for the year.

_________________
Regards,

Andy.

Osprey still present at mere till 15:45 this afternoon when it flew off, very high to NE.

_________________
Regards,

Andy.

Heck!!!
Well done Andy,thats superb raptoring!!!ive never seen r kite and osprey together,once had marsh harrier ,peregrine and c buzzard all having a dogfight over the river ancholme once-that was great,i dont know whether your a drinking man but i am-as you know!!and if id seen what you saw my pint of bitter would taste that much sweeter.
Cheers!!!,
Roger.

Is Boultham Mere the pit behind morrisons?

Osprey over my parent's garden in Foston at around 1815 today, interesting to see if the Lincoln bird is seen again....

_________________
Dr Alexander C. Lees
Lecturer in tropical ecology
Manchester Metropolitan University

Lab Associate
Cornell Lab of Ornithology,
Cornell University

http://www.freewebs.com/alexlees/index.htm
@Alexander_Lees

Hi Sue,

Yes, Boultham mere is the pit behind Morrisons.

_________________
Regards,

Andy.