Friday 9 November 2012

A day’s birding at Rutland Water, Rutland - November 3, 2012


I returned to the Lyndon Reserve with Roger in the hope of further views of yesterday’s Ring-necked Duck.  As we walked towards Tufted Duck hide t was clear that there were far fewer birds than yesterday and there was no sign of the duck, although we did see a single female Scaup.  We went into Tufted Duck hide as it began raining and it was some time before it stopped and we were able to walk back to the centre.  When we got back there were clearly more birds but we still couldn’t find the Ring-necked amongst the numerous Tufted Duck.  We did find a male and female Red-crested Pochard and a Black-necked Grebe and two Kingfishers flew by as we tried to shelter out of the rain.

We eventually decided to go the Egleton Reserve and after a short while in the centre, seeing several Pintail and circa twenty Snipe, whilst it was raining we walked to snipe hide on the wet meadow.  There was little on the wet meadow and there was no sign of yesterday’s male Stonechat.  The 360°hide on lagoon five failed to produce anything of note and we went to the car park for lunch.

When we arrived in dunlin hide, John Wright was already in position and we spent a very enjoyable hour or so getting a master class from John on Caspian and Yellow-legged Gulls.  We saw three adult, three second-winter and a third-winter Caspian Gulls and at least twelve different Yellow-legged Gulls of various ages and John provided some valuable information on key identification points for all of them.  I only hope I remember at least some of the detail he provided but only time will tell.

We had to leave just after 16:00 only to find out later that the Azorean Yellow-legged Gull.


Great Crested Grebe from lapwing hide


Little Egret on lagoon three



Little Egret on lagoon three


Little Egret on lagoon three


Drake Teal on lagoon three


Redshank on lagoon three


Green Sandpiper on lagoon three


Green Sandpiper on lagoon three


Adult winter Black-headed Gull on lagoon three

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