Roger and I were out again today and we called at the Little Owl site close to Great Easton before continuing to Eye Brook Reservoir. The Little Owl due obliged and allowed good views as it perched in a tree.
Little Owl at Great Easton
It was quiet foggy at Eye
Brook Reservoir, which made viewing difficult although it appeared very quiet
with just two unidentified martins and a Sparrowhawk observed.
As we got close to Rutland
Water the fog lifted although it did return briefly while we were in the north
arm. There was very little in the north
arm although a single House Martin amongst Sand Martin was my first of the
year. Two Sparrowhawk flew over the
north arm together and headed off to the south but other than a concentration
of Egyptian Geese on the north shore and a few Goldeneye there was little else.
Male Tufted Duck over the north arm
We decided to go to the Old
Hall and on arrival we found two Oystercatcher and a single Redshank on the
shore and two Chiffchaffs could be heard singing. As we scoped the water towards the reserve
Roger picked up the Great Northern Diver and as I got on it the female
Long-tailed Duck swam into view. Both of
these birds have not always been easy to find this year and to see them side by
side was a surprise and it was the first time we had seen the diver in this
section of the reservoir.
With nothing else we moved off
to the Egleton Reserve and walked towards Lax Hill. During the initial walk to snipe hide we
heard a couple more Chiffchaff and a Blackcap, the Blackcap being the first of
the spring.
Jackdaw at the Old Hall
From snipe hide we found a
couple of Shelduck, three male and two female Pintail, a Little Egret and an
Oystercatcher. We could also see a
further three Little Egrets on lagoon one.
I took a few photos of gulls that were flying over and later identified
one as a third-year bird. We continued
walking towards Lax Hill seeing a Sparrowhawk and our first Willow Warblers of
the year, two being seen near fieldfare hide and there was also another two Chiffchaffs. We continued to goldeneye hide on lax hill,
hearing a third Willow Warbler on route and finding six Curlew to the right of
the hide.
Little Egret on the wet meadow
Second-winter/summer Yellow-legged Gull over the wet meadow
Second-winter/summer Yellow-legged Gull over the wet meadow
Second-winter/summer Yellow-legged Gull over the wet meadow
Lapwing displaying near lagoon five
After walking back to the car
park and having lunch we set off towards to lagoon four.
There was very little as we
walked to lagoon four hearing just one Chiffchaff. On lagoon four we found a couple of
Oystercatcher, four Ringed Plover, a Dunlin, three Redshank, a Yellow Wagtail
and five White Wagtails and there was clearly more hirundine present and we
found another House Martin.
Lagoon three was disappointing
with three Snipe and two Shelduck being the highlight.
Back in the Bird Watching
Centre the weather had took a turn for the worse as the wind had increased and
it did eventually start raining. We saw
a Snipe and another Redshank and Roger picked up a Peregrine high over Lax Hill
but we eventually called it a day as the rain increased.
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