An afternoon visit to Rutland Water, Rutland - April 28, 2014

With the report of an adult Gannet in the south arm at Rutland Water, Dave, Roger and I decided we would go and hopefully see it.  Just before we set off in was reported in the north arm but on arrival there was no sign of any other birders or the bird in the north arm.  We had seen Tim, who was also looking for it, and a phone called confirmed that it wasn’t in the south arm.  We decided to go to the end of the Hambleton Peninsular in the hope that it might be on the main water.  However after an extensive search we were unable to find it and presumed it had departed.  Dave did find two male and a female Mandarin just off shore but there was nothing else and so we went to the Egleton Reserve.

I saw a Hobby fly over the centre and out of sight just as we got out of the car and as we walked towards the centre it passed over again.  On reaching the centre the best option was lagoon three as Garganey and Black Tern had been reported.  On reaching Shoveler hide there no sign of either the pair of Garganey or the Black Tern.  Roger and Andy Brett then arrived and Andy found the pair of Garganey feeding amongst the vegetation on the edge of the small area to the left of the hide.  Although there didn’t appear to be too much cover the Garganey were very apt at concealing themselves.  A male Marsh Harrier was also present.

With still no sign of the Black Tern we moved to bittern hide but although we could hear a Reed Warbler it failed to reveal itself and so we moved to plover hide on lagoon four.  The Black Tern was resting amongst a party of Common Terns and we also found a couple of Oystercatcher, four Ringed Plovers, three Dunlin and a winter plumaged Black-tailed Godwit.  We also saw a Red Kite, at least three Buzzards and an Osprey between the hide and the Burley Wood to the north.  There was a good selection of warblers seen or heard and included a Cetti’s Warbler, five Chiffchaffs, five Willow Warblers, seven Blackcaps, two Garden Warblers, a Lesser Whitethroat, three Whitethroats, five Sedge Warblers and a Reed Warbler.

Female Shelduck heading for lagoon three

Female Shelduck heading for lagoon three

Drake Gadwall from bittern hide on lagoon three

Female Gadwall from bittern hide on lagoon three

Whilst in plover hide on lagoon four a female Mallard was noted with eleven quite small ducklings that were suddenly attacked by two Egyptian Geese that had a brood nearby.  The attack was really quite aggressive with both the female and the young being attacked, although they all seemed to take refuge in a small group of reeds on the shore line.  One of the Egyptian Geese, which was presumably the male, remained close to the patch of reeds for some time and we didn’t see the Mallard family again.