I had put the moth trap out
last night with eighty-one being trapped and identified with Engrailed being a
new moth for me.
The following were trapped:
Brown House Moth [2]; Celypha lacunana [3]; Ancylis achatana [2]; Chrysoteuchia
culmella [7]; Crambus pascuella [5]; Anania perlucidalis [1]; Clouded Border
[1]; Brimstone Moth [2]; Willow Beauty [2]; Engrailed [1]; Elephant Hawkmoth
[1]; Common Footman [5]; Heart and Dart [10]; Flame [1]; Double Square-spot
[1]; Bright-line Brown-eye [9]; The Shark [1]; Dark Arches [10]; Large Nutmeg
[1]; Marbled Minor group [2]; Uncertain [11]; Rustic [1]; Burnished Brass [1]
and Snout [1].
Engrailed
I had broken a tooth last week
and had a dental appointment at 08:30 but following my visit I decided to go
Eyebrook Reservoir and Rutland Water. I
went to Eyebrook Reservoir first seeing nothing of note on route. It was also pretty quiet at the reservoir
with a single Shelduck, two Buzzards and two Common Terns being the best.
With Eyebrook Reservoir being
quiet I moved onto Rutland Water and went straight to the Egleton Reserve. I spent some time in the centre overlooking
lagoon one where there seven Little Egrets, a Little Grebe with four young and
an Oystercatcher.
After some lunch I walked to
shoveler hide on lagoon three where there was were a few Common Terns over the
water and several young chicks on the tern rafts and an immature male Marsh
Harrier appeared briefly over the reeds before it dropped into reeds. Two Oystercatchers flew in and landed on the island
and there were several Reed Warblers observed amongst the reeds close to the
hide.
Little Egret over lagoon three
Gadwall duckling on lagoon three
Oystercatcher alighting on lagoon three
Oystercatcher alighting on lagoon three
Reed Warbler on lagoon three
Reed Warbler on lagoon three
Ken then called to say he had
arrived and agreed to meet him in bittern hide where I hoped to get better
views of the harrier. Just before I left
the hide two Snipe flew in but disappeared into the reeds.
I walked the short distance to
harrier hide where there were two Sedge Warblers that were probably feeding
young in the reeds fairly close to the hide.
Ken joined me and the Sedge Warblers and a Reed Warbler were observed
but there was still no further sign of the harrier.
Sedge Warbler from bittern hide
Sedge Warbler from bittern hide
Sedge Warbler from bittern hide
Sedge Warbler from bittern hide
The harrier then appeared and
flew to the far end of the reedbed before making its way back and dropping into
the reeds close to where we had seen it before.
After a fairly short period of time it was in flight again and dropped
down not too far away. Another wait
before it reappeared and flew back to the original area when it was clearly
carrying prey. Despite a further wait it
did not reappear and we moved off to plover hide on lagoon four. Two Yellow-legged Gulls and three Raven flew
over whilst we were in shoveler hide.
Marsh Harrier over the reedbed
There was a Little Egret close
to the hide but very little else and so we moved on to sandpiper hide. We found a single Ringed Plover and Dunlin
and the pair of Shelduck were still present with their five young. Several Buzzards were observed between Burley
and Oakham and an Osprey was observed over the north arm. One of the Yellow-legged Gulls also flew
over.
Moulting adult Yellow-legged Gull
Moulting adult Yellow-legged Gull
There had been a Black-tailed
Godwit on lagoon three that I was unable to locate whilst in shoveler hide but
apparently it was now on view. We walked
back the short distance to shoveler hide and found the Black-tailed Godwit
almost straight away and a single Snipe was also visible.
Summer plumage Black-tailed Godwit on lagoon three
Juvenile Black-headed Gull on lagoon three
We returned to the centre and
found the Marsh Harrier was now quartering the area to the right of harrier
hide and as we watched it a Hobby appeared to mob it briefly before flying over
the poplars. The harrier also disappeared
and we finally called it a day.
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