I arrived at Watermead Country Park and met Roger at the site where a Grasshopper Warbler had been reported. I had seen and heard a few Blackcap and Chiffchaff as I walked to the area and there appeared to be plenty of song. Roger can’t hear Grasshopper Warbler these days and I can only him in on ear, which makes them difficult to locate. However on arrival all I could hear was a Sedge Warbler and a Whitethroat but after a short while I heard one sing briefly. I walked in the direction where I thought it was and saw a bird fly into the corner of the field. As I approached the area it began to sing again and I found it sitting on top of some scrub. Roger got on it and we had some nice views for a good five minutes. After a while it dropped down
and was then heard singing a little further away. There were a couple of birds feeding further
in the corner of the field and proved to be a Lesser Redpoll and a Reed Bunting
and a second redpoll was found before they all flew off.
Grasshopper Warbler
I walked back with Roger and
we had some nice views of a Blackcap singing and a Treecreeper was observed
carrying nesting material. As we walked
to an area where Roger had seen a Reed Warbler yesterday a Cetti’s Warbler
burst into song but we neither saw it nor heard it again. The Reed Warbler was singing when we arrived at
the site but it proved very illusive providing only very brief views as it
moved through some brambles.
Male Blackcap
As we walked back to where we
had parked I heard two other Grasshopper Warblers singing on an area known as
the Thurmaston Flood Plain, which is inaccessible and not being able to see
either from the path I had to be content with them singing.
Roger was on grandfather duty
today and had to head off home whilst I headed for Beacon Hill. I stopped briefly at Swithland Reservoir on
route and was surprised to find a brood of twelve Mallard feeding on the
sidewalk with mother looking on through the fence.
I arrived at Beacon Hill and
paid the car park, when there was a twitter message of a Wood Warbler singing
at Rutland Water. This is a good bird
for the counties and would be a first for Rutland Water but as I had just paid
a decided to continue to look for the Tee Pipits. I parked the car and walked the short
distance to the summit but it was very quiet in the now fresh a cool wind. As I walked down the eastern I thought I
heard a bird calling and shortly afterwards one sang. It performed very well over the next fifteen
minutes and I managed to get some good photos.
Tree Pipit
With the Tree Pipit in the bag
and the lure of a Wood Warbler I set for Rutland Water. I hadn’t gone very far when another tweet
arrived ‘Not singing and no sign at present’.
I continued on to Rutland Water and on arrival called Tim Appleton who
confirmed that it had not been seen since early morning. He suggested that I go into the reedbed to
see if it had moved there but I was not very optimistic of finding it. I walked along the path that hugged the
woodland as I thought this would be the best bet. I had gone quite some distance when I thought
I might have heard it sing briefly. I
stopped and listened but nothing but as moved forward I thought I heard it
again but again on stopping there was nothing.
I walked up a ride that goes into the wood and a bird flew across the
path. I raised my bins and there was a
cracking Wood Warbler and I watched it for a few minutes before calling Tim
with the good news. He and Tim Mackrill
soon arrived and although I had since lost contact we soon found again and had
further views as it fed in the canopy and occasionally gave a brief peace of song. They both departed but I stayed in the
reedbed for a while before going for lunch.
News had broken this morning
that the Ring-billed Gull had been feeding on bread at Melton Country Park and
was back again this morning. I was
tempted to go but as I had seen pretty well last night decided to stay at
Rutland Water.
I had my lunch in the north
arm but it was extremely quiet and drove to the Egleton Reserve and walked to
plover hide on lagoon four. There were
clearly more Blackcaps about today and I heard a Lesser Whitethroat but
couldn’t find despite it singing several times but a Red Kite flew over as I
was searching for it. There were also
plenty of Willow Warbler, the Chiffchaff and a Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat as
I approached the hide. From the hide
there was a Ringed Plover sitting tight presumably on eggs on the nearest
island and another bird was feeding around th edge. An Avocet and a couple of Dunlin were also
observed but there was little else so I moved to shoveler hide on lagoon three. There was an Arctic Tern and several Common
Terns feeding at the back of the lagoon but it was otherwise quiet. I then went to dunlin hide on lagoon four
were I found two Oystercatcher, four Avocet; a Little Ringed Plover; two more
Ringed Plovers, a Ruff and three Redshank.
AS I was leaving the hide Steve Lister arrived and we had a chat about
the Ring-billed Gull as he had been to Melton to see it. He and Colin Towe entered the hide and
started to walk back but soon received a call from Steve that the Ring-billed
Gull had come in. I returned to the hide
and had some good views and also saw a Yellow Wagtail and my first White
Wagtail and fourteen Dunlin flew by the hide.
I eventually set off to the car park but neither heard or saw the Lesser
Whitethroat I was hoping for.
Willow Warbler in the Egleton Meadows
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