I went to Eye Brook Reservoir
first today to find the reserve full again and there was little at the shallow
end, the best being two Shelduck and a single Little Owl in the old oak.
At Rutland Water I went to the
dam in the hope of finding the diver but had no joy, although I did find two
adult Kittiwakes, which is quite a good bird for the counties. There was also three Red Kites performing rather
well and I suspect that they were a pair and an intruder as tow of them locked
talons and fell all the way to ground before releasing. One was then repeated harassed by the other,
although all three were still present when I left.
Red Kite near the dam at Rutland Water
From the dam I drove straight
to the north arm and the end of the Reserve Manager’s road. There was no sign of the Slavonian or
Black-necked Grebes but I did locate the female Red-breasted Merganser. There were plenty of Buzzards and I saw at
least twelve with three Red Kites also being seen. There were nine Dunlin and three Ringed
Plovers on the north shore, although they were very flighty and two pairs of
Oystercatcher were also observed.
Cormorant over the north arm at Rutland Water
Buzzard over the north arm at Rutland Water
Pied Wagtail in the north arm at Rutland Water
On the reserve I walked to
lapwing hide calling at both smew and crake hides on route but saw very little,
either on route or from any of the hides.
I walked back to shoveler hide where there were two Green Sandpipers
quite close and a Little Egret provided excellent views. I found two drake and three red-headed Smew
and a pair of Scaup amongst the rafts of Gadwall and Tufted Duck. A Black-tailed Godwit, presumably the same as
seen on Tuesday appeared and at least six Snipe were observed. Another observed in the hide then announced
that he had a harrier but that it had gone down into the reeds. A few second later a Bittern appeared in
flight where they announced harrier and gone down. The observed then felt that he had seen the
Bittern briefly and misidentified it, which is an easy mistake on a brief view
and did get most people onto the Bittern.
A Water Rail also provided
some good views and just as some people were thinking of leaving another birder
indicated that he had two Bitterns in flight.
These two flew around for quite a while before alighting again in the
reeds and they appeared from a different area than where the first had alighted
and it was likely we had seen all three of the wintering Bitterns. Just as I was about to leave two Curlew flew
over heading towards lagoon four.
Song Thrush in the Egleton Meadows
Little Egret on lagoon three at Rutland Water
Drake Teal on lagoon three at Rutland Water
Female Teal on lagoon three at Rutland Water
Drake Teal on lagoon three at Rutland Water
Water Rail on lagoon three at Rutland Water
Water Rail on lagoon three at Rutland Water
Water Rail on lagoon three at Rutland Water
Green Sandpiper on lagoon three at Rutland Water
I called at lagoon four where
I found a second-winter/third–summer Caspian Gull but there were no sign of the
Curlew, although nine were present just before I arrived and thirty were
reported later.
I returned to the north arm
where I did find the Slavonian and Black-necked Grebes and a single Whooper
Swam, which was a good close to the day.
I had recorded eight species today, which is good local total for the
counties.
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