Thursday 16 May 2013

A day’s birding at Rutland Water, Rutland - May 15, 2013


There had been a Curlew Sandpiper on lagoon four just after we left yesterday and so I had retuned today in the hope the rain and kept it there.

When I arrived at Rutland Water I walked to lagoon four but there was no sign of the sandpiper and there appeared fewer waders than yesterday.   I eventually found four Oystercatcher, two Avocets, fifteen Ringed Plovers, two Sanderling and eighteen Dunlin.  A Whimbrel dropped in not too far from the hide and was then harassed by a Lapwing causing it fly to another area where it bathed but had moved off later in the day.



Whimbrel taking evasive action from Lapwing

From the new bittern hide on lagoon three I did locate the drake Scaup after some persistence and got much better views than yesterday.  There were thirty-five Common Terns feeding over the water but there was nothing else of note.


Great Crested Grebe from bittern hide


Female Gadwall from bittern hide


Male Gadwall from bittern hide


Male Mallard from bittern hide

From three I called again at sandpiper hide on lagoon four where I had better views of a nice summer plumage Sanderling but the Whimbrel appeared to have gone and there was nothing new. 

I called at osprey hide on lagoon two as I had heard a Cetti’s Warbler singing close to the hide.  It sand on another couple of occasions and did manage to get rather poor views of it before it flew in front of the hide and disappeared.  There was also a Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler and Reed Warbler singing close to the hide but other than brief views of the Sedge and Reed Warblers as they flew in I couldn’t see any of them but a nice male Bullfinch did provided nice but brief views.


Canada Geese with brood on lagoon oen

I continued to the centre and then went onto the car park for lunch.  After lunch I was driving off to the north arm when Roger and Andy Brett arrived and informed me that there was nothing of note and so I walked back to lagoon four with them, seeing a Ruff on lagoon one.

The weather was now improving and there were longer periods of sunshine.  On lagoon four I did find two more Sanderling and a Common Sandpiper that I had not seen this morning and a Hobby flew over giving nice views.  I the spent some time trying to photograph Swifts before going back to bittern hide on lagoon three.  Again I spent time photographing ore Swifts and a few wildfowl that were close to the hide but there was nothing new.


Swift over lagoon four


Swift over lagoon four


Male Gadwall from bittern hide


Male Mallard from bittern hide


Male Mallard from bittern hide


Male Mallard over lagoon three


Male Mallard over lagoon three


First-summer Great Black-backed Gull over lagoon three





Swifts over lagoon three


Jackdaw from bittern hide

After some time I walked back along the summer trail to the centre and found a male Muntjac sitting just inside the trees.  It appeared to be totally unconcerned about me and I took several photos of its head only as it was so close.  It eventually sprang up and went into the trees but not too far away and I suspected that it was unwell.


Male Muntjac




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