A day’s birding in Leicestershire & Rutland - August 23, 2012

I was out on my own today and went to Eye Brook Reservoir first where I found a juvenile Ruff and a Greenshank along the stream as the water level was beginning to drop.  There was also six Swift present and five Common Terns and the number of wildfowl was beginning to increase.

From Eye Brook Reservoir I went to the north arm at Rutland Water and was surprised to see the water had risen again significantly and there was no exposed mud; they had obviously been pumping again.  Two Barnacle Geese were present on the north shore and there were six Little Egrets scattered around the shoreline.  I did manage to locate a single Green Sandpiper and Greenshank and a single Black Tern was feeding over the water.

Common Terns over the north arm

I then me the reserve manager, Tim Appleton, and we went to look at where it would be possible to position a new hide that I had offered to pay for.  It will probably be positioned somewhere near where the old plover hide was, being slightly raised to give views over the reed-bed and lagoon three.

Having seen nothing from plover hide on lagoon four I went to sandpiper hide where there were a Little Ringed Plover, ten Ringed Plovers, four Dunlin, two juvenile Ruff, a Snipe, a Green Sandpiper and Greenshank were located.  There was also four Garganey feeding just in front of the hide.

The hide began to get quite crowded as an organised party arrived and despite the number of observers I was surprised to find that an Osprey had some how snuck under the radar and was sitting on one of the man-made perches.  A single Buzzard was observed over Burley Wood and a second was then found perched on a telegraph pole on the far side of the lagoon.

Garganey on lagoon four

I moved to shoveler hide on lagoon three next but despite the number of wildfowl present nothing of note was found and I returned to the car park for lunch.

After lunch I walked to snipe hide overlooking the wet meadow where there was another Snip, a Common Sandpiper and five Green Sandpipers and I noticed four Black-tailed Godwits flying over lagoon three heading for lagoon four.

Grey Heron over the wet meadow

Canada Goose over the wet meadow

I checked out the new 360° hide, although it is not officially open, and it provides as superb view over lagoon five.  I had really only come in to have a quick look but noticed a duck, that I thought was a Mandarin, so I opened one of the flaps and got the scope on it to confirm its identity as a female Mandarin.  I moved to Shelduck hide on lagoon five but whilst there were plenty of birds, mainly Black-headed Gulls, there was nothing else of note, although a Green Sandpiper did fly over.

Adult Coot on lagoon five

Adult winter Black-headed Gull over lagoon five

Moulting Black-headed Gull on lagoon five

Adult Black-headed Gull on lagoon five

From Shelduck hide I walked back to the centre calling at Mallard hide on route where a Greenshank flew over and two Common Terns flew over the water.

Juvenile Coot on lagoon one

I finally decided to go to redshank hide on lagoon two but other than a few Sand Martin saw nothing else of note.

Not a bad day but had been disappointing saw far this autumn due to the water levels providing so few opportunities for waders.