A day’s birding in Leicestershire and Rutland - May 12, 2012

I set off to Eye Brook Reservoir on my own today as Dave was unwell and we were meeting Roger at Rutland Water later in the day.

A Buzzard was the only bird of note on route to Eye Brook Reservoir and the reservoir was relatively quiet and now on top water.  There were c.300 House Martins present and about fifty Sand Martins but only five Swallows were observed.  There was also circa thirty Swifts present and at least four Common Terns.

At Rutland Water I went to the Old Hall and walked to Hambleton Wood where I met Roger walking back to his car.  He walked back with me to the wood were we had reasonable views of a Nightingale and probably the only male present this year.  A Garden Warbler also provided good views briefly as it fed in the lower vegetation.

 Swallow and Sand Martin near the Old Hall

House Martin near the Old Hall

We went to the north arm next but it was fairly quiet and there was no sign of the fourteen Turnstone present yesterday evening.  There was a Little Egret, an Oystercatcher and a drake Goldeneye present and a Red Kite and two Buzzard were observed over Burley Wood.

Swift over the north arm

After signing in at the Bird Watching Centre we walked to lagoon four were we located six Avocet, with three sitting on nests, two Little Ringed Plovers, twelve Ringed Plovers, eight Dunlin, four Redshank and a Turnstone.  I also counted thirty-eight Common Terns resting on one of the islands.

There was a winter plumage Black-tailed Godwit on lagoon three and at least fifty Common Terns feeding over the water and I had a Turtle Dove flying at the back of the lagoon.  Ken had now joined us and we returned to sandpiper hide on lagoon four where we located a Common Sandpiper before returning to the car park for lunch.

Common Tern over lagoon three

After lunch we spent some time in the Bird Watching Centre overlooking lagoon one where there was a Little Egret and five Oystercatchers.

Ken and I then walked around to fieldfare hide calling at snipe hide on route where we saw another three Little Egrets on the wet meadow, an Osprey and a distant Hobby over the lagoons.  We continued on to fieldfare and had excellent views of a photogenic Sedge Warbler and an Osprey overhead on route.  At fieldfare we found a female Pintail and a Mallard with a brood of nine.

Sedge Warbler close to harrier hide

Osprey over fieldfare hide

Harrier hide on lagoon one provided some excellent views of a Short-eared Owl as it  perched on a cross pole in bright sunlight before providing some excellent views in flight.

Short-eared Owl from harrier hide

Oystercatcher harassing the Short-eared Owl

When we got back to the car park I decided to walk back to lagoon four and was rewarded with a Grey Plover and Curlew and further views of the Turnstone.  I then called at shoveler hide on lagoon three and saw two Reed Warblers and a Kingfisher flying over the lagoon.

I saw little else on my return to the car park but it had been a good day with eight-eight species recorded at Rutland Water.