A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - October 28, 2014

I went to Eyebrook Reservoir first this morning seeing a Buzzard and a couple of Kestrel on route.

I arrived at Eyebrook Reservoir from the southern end and stopped near the gate to the fishing lodge.  There were twenty-nine Red-legged Partridge feeding in the field on the opposite side of the road to the reservoir and I also found three Redwings feeding in the hedgerow alongside the field.  Two Tree Sparrows flew over calling from the old feeding station but there was little else and I moved on to the island corral.  From the corral I found a pair of Pintail, two Red-crested Pochard, one being a male whilst the other was uncertain as I was having to look into the sun, and two Little Egrets.  I moved on further seeing another twenty-nine Red-legged Partridge before reaching the second corral.  The Red-legged Partridge numbers are high as most have been released for shooting, which had now started and the numbers are likely to drop significantly over the next few weeks.  From the second corral I found a single Little Stint, five Dunlin and a couple of Ruff and counted 419 Golden Plovers.  There was also a Red Kite quartering the fields to the east of the reservoir.  I continued on around the Rutland bank seeing a Stoat at the roadside on route and a single male Stonechat near the inlet.

As I headed off towards Rutland Water I was greeted with a sign saying road closed, which had been positioned just beyond the Stoke Dry car park and making it difficult to turn.  I decided to continue and found that I was able to get through to Uppingham and continue on to Rutland Water.

At Rutland Water I went to the north arm and found a female Scaup in the fishponds and two Grey Wagtails flew over before I walked down to the spit.  I soon located the two Black-necked Grebes and was then joined by Nigel and a little later Erik.  There were two Barnacle Geese on the north shore and Nigel then found four Dunlin that were also on the north shore.  There were at least seven Little Egrets in the north arm and two Red Kites, four Buzzards and a Raven over Burley Wood.  Erik and I walked further into the arm to get a better view of the feeding wildfowl and found an eclipse drake and a female Red-crested Pochard.

On reaching the Egleton Reserve we went to Bird Watching Centre to view lagoon one before taking some lunch.  One of the Great White Egrets was feeding to the right of the centre and there were five Little Egrets on the lagoon.  There were four Curlew and five Redshanks feeding beyond the long island but we eventually finished up finding eight of both species and there was also at least six Snipe.  There was a good selection of wildfowl on the lagoon but the highlight was nineteen Pintail and Erik found a couple of distant Goldeneye in south arm three.  A Small Tortoiseshell and Brimstone were also observed.

After some lunch Erik and I went down to Shoveler hide on lagoon three.  When we arrived the hide was pretty full as people were looking for the Ring-necked Duck and Jack Snipe.  There were masses of wildfowl most of which were Tufted Duck, but there was also smaller numbers of Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard and Pochard and I did eventually see four Pintail, several Shovelers and four Goldeneye.  The water had dropped slightly on the lagoon and there were four Snipe, five Black-tailed Godwits, a Green Sandpiper and a Redshank. A Marsh Harrier was observed over the reedbed and a Red Kite also drifted over.  The birds close to the hide had been disturbed by workers on the bund of lagoon four but later there was disturbance again but initially we couldn’t see anything.  I then picked up a bird over the wood and suspected it would be a Sparrowhawk but it soon became apparent that it was small falcon.  The flight was very direct and away from us with periods of wing beast followed by short glides with some undulation.  Craig who had managed to get his scope on it confirmed that it was a female Merlin, which is a good bird for the site.  Shortly after this Erik found the Ring-necked Duck and eventually managed to get everyone on to it.  It is now beginning to look quite a smart bird but it can still be quite tricky to find mainly due the number of Tufted Duck it associates with.

Redshank on lagoon three

I moved on to Dunlin hide with Steve to view the gulls whilst Erik went back to the centre to get his tripod repaired before coming back to join Steve and I.  There were quite a few gulls present when we arrived and the numbers gradually built during our time in the hide.  All five common species were present in good numbers; with a notable increase in Common Gulls.  There was also a single adult Mediterranean Gull, at least three Yellow-legged Gulls and a single Caspian Gull, which I thought was the same bird as on Saturday.  There was also a couple of interesting birds that showed Caspian characteristic, one was considered to look good except for the bill being too short, whilst the other was considered not to be a Caspian as the head shape was not right, although the bill looked good.  With the light fading we eventually called it a day and headed off back to the car park.

A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - October 25, 2014

I was out with Dave and Roger today and we called at Eyebrook Reservoir before continuing onto Rutland Water.

There was a lot of shooting near Eyebrook Reservoir but we did find a Shelduck, a Little Stint, five Dunlin, a Ruff and nine Snipe and I counted 307 Golden Plovers.

At Rutland Water we went to the north first where we found three Dunlin on the north shore and Roger picked up the two Black-necked Grebes close to Dickinson’s Bay.  There were four Red Kites and four Buzzards over Burley Wood and we counted ten Little Egrets scattered around the arm.  There appeared to be fewer ducks on the water but we found a pair of Pintail and two drakes and a female Goldeneye.

Having exhausted the north arm we went to the Egleton Reserve and viewed lagoon one form the Bird Watching Centre.  We could see both Redshank and Curlew and eventually fond eight Redshanks and seven Curlews.  There were also a few Pintail on the lagoon and the Great White Egret was still present and feeding behind the long island.  After some lunch we went to Shoveler hide on lagoon three, which not surprisingly was pretty full as there had been two Jack Snipe yesterday and the Ring-necked Duck had also been seen here recently.  There were four Black-tailed Godwits, two Green Sandpipers and a Redshank to the left of the hide but there was no sign of the Jack Snipe.  The Ring-necked Duck had also been seen but had been lost and the person who had seen it couldn’t relocate it.  As people scanned for the Ring-necked a male and female Scaup were found but the Ring-necked remained elusive.  I eventually found it amongst the masses of Tufted Ducks but it was difficult giving people direction as I could only see Tufted Ducks and a Mute Swan close by and the reedbed behind, which wasn’t much help to anyone.  Roger had still not seen the bird since its arrival a few weeks ago and so I got it in the middle of the scope and then let him look through it.  However after a brief look and twisting of the focussing he couldn’t see it.  I looked through expecting to find again but couldn’t and eventually most of the Tufted Duck had flown off towards South Arm Three.  We eventually came to the conclusion that it had probably gone off with the Tufted Duck and went to Lapwing hide to try from there.  On arrival there was a large raft of Tufted Ducks in front of the hide but even more to the left of the hide, which were in pretty poor light.  We were certain it wasn’t in the group in front but most to the right were just dark silhouettes.  Suddenly they all started to fly and went back on to lagoon three and so we began to make our way back to Shoveler.  I called at both crake and Buzzard hides on route, seeing just a Little Egret from crake and a load of Tufted Ducks from Buzzard.  When I arrived back at Shoveler hide there had been no sign and I was starting to move on to Dunlin hide on lagoon one, another birder claimed to have it.  I set up my scope only to find out he was talking about one of the Scaup but the scope was now up and I started to scan the Tufted Duck flock.  I hadn’t been scanning too long when I found again and this time Roger managed to see it through my scope but when another birder looked it had disappeared again.  I started to look for it again without any success when I saw it coming in from the right, got it the centre and the other birder looked unsuccessfully again and we were then unable to find it again.  We eventually gave up and moved on to Dunlin hide on lagoon four.

Dave picked up a classic adult Caspian Gull almost straight away and it provided us with some nice views as it preened showing its under-wing.  There were also Black-headed, Common, Lesser Black-backed, Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls resting and preening.  Small numbers of Golden Plovers were also observed but there was little else.  As we continued to look through the gulls there was suddenly a mass panic and we found a female Marsh Harrier flying low over the lagoon, which eventually passed almost over the hide heading south.  It also became apparent that there were far more Golden Plovers than we thought and we estimated that there were at least two hundred.

Marsh Harrier

Marsh Harrier

Marsh Harrier

We called in the centre again before going home where we had a second Marsh Harrier, this time a juvenile.  There was also thirty Pintail and ten Redshank and a male Stonechat was observed on lagoon two.

A family holiday in West Norfolk - October 17 to 24, 2014

I was away on holiday with the family in Brancaster, Norfolk from Friday 17^th to Friday the 24^th.  Whilst not a birding holiday I was able to get out early in the morning and also late evening birding and managed to record 117 species during the week’s visit.

My wife, mother-in-law, youngest grandchild and I arrived at the cottage early afternoon and my daughter, son-in-law and oldest grandchild joined us later.  Once I had emptied the car a paid a visit to the RSPB reserve at Titchwell, which is only five minutes away.

I walked down the west bank only intending to visit the fresh marsh but on hearing of a Purple Sandpiper on the Tidal Marsh and continued to the end of the path.  I was able to watch the Purple Sandpiper down to a few feet and regretted not brining the camera even though the light was pretty poor.  Whilst walking down the west bank path I had seen a Bittern briefly as it dropped into the reeds close to the Reedbed Pool.  There was a good selection of waders between the Freshwater Marsh and the shore that included Oystercatcher, Avocet, Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Lapwing, Sanderling, Dunlin, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Spotted Redshank, Greenshank, Redshank and Turnstone.  I stayed on until dusk seeing seven Marsh Harriers come in to roost and at least forty Little Egrets and had nice views of a Water Rail.

I was back at Titchwell early the following morning seeing most of the species seen yesterday but there was sadly no sign of the Purple Sandpiper.  After some breakfast my wife and daughter were going shopping and with a Grey Phalarope still at Cley I decided to go and take a look.  After parking at the beach car park I walked the short distance to overlook the Eye Pool where the phalarope was reported to be.  However there was no sign when I arrived but another birder assured me it was still there but out of sight behind a small bank of reeds.  It wasn’t too long before it appeared and provided some nice views before it decided to fly off to the sea.  It appeared to land on the sea but despite a search by a number of birders we were unable to find it.  I went further along the beach to hopefully see a Snow Bunting, that was apparently giving good views.  I joined a small group of birders who were watching the Snow Bunting down to a few feet and provided some excellent views over the nest half an hour.

Grey Phalarope

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

I had already seen a Wheatear in the Eye Field but a second close to the Snow Bunting provided a photo opportunity, although it was more mobile than the Snow Bunting and therefore a little more difficult but I did get a couple of decent photos.

Juvenile Wheatear

Juvenile Wheatear

With little else at Cley I went to the cottage at Brancaster before going back to Titchwell late afternoon.

I was stood on the West Bank at Titchwell when one of the wardens came running by followed by another birder who was walking briskly after him.  I asked what was going on and he informed me that a Penduline Tit had been reported near the path to Parrinder Hide and so I followed in quick pursuit.  When we arrived there was a small party of birders and the bird had been photographed and was indeed a Penduline Tit.  It had however flown closer the hide and a after a few minutes I went with two other birders to hopefully get a better view of the area.  Wrong move as the view was restricted and it soon became obvious those on the path appeared to be watching something.  We quickly returned to find it had been seen again but only briefly and not everyone had seen it.  I trained my scope on the area the bird was reported to be and I could bits of the bulrush coming off, which were obviously being released as the bird fed.  This continued for a while but the bird was just not visible when suddenly the activity stopped and I switched to my bins.  Almost immediately I picked up a small sand-brown bird as it flew out of the reeds and over the water but within ten feet it climbed almost vertical to quite some height and then flew over the Fresh Water Marsh to the main reedbed.  I went back down the path to overlook the reedbed, whilst most stayed.  Not surprisingly there was no sign of it in the main reedbed and there was no more sign of it still being close to Parrinder Hide.  It was however reported late afternoon the following day in the main reedbed but there were no further sightings by the 24^th when I returned home.

Again I made an early morning visit to Titchwell on the 19^th and as usual I walked along the West Bank Path to the sea.  Other than a few Common Scoters the only birds of note were a Red-throated Diver, which was my only sighting of the week and a Slavonian Grebe.  As is usual there was a good selection of waders but Knot was the only addition for the week and a Stonechat was observed from the bank.

A walk to the beach at Brancaster after breakfast produced twenty-nine species that included three Little Egrets, eighty-five Golden Plovers, a Snipe, a Bar-tailed Godwit and perhaps more surprisingly a fly over Grey Wagtail.

Again on the Monday I made an early morning visit to Titchwell and again walked along the path to the sea.  Other than the usual Common Scoters being observed over the sea there were two drake Eiders on the sea and a single Long-tailed Duck and two Red-breasted Mergansers were observed in flight. A Kingfisher on the Tidal Marsh was a nice surprise but otherwise other sightings were as expected.

I went to Burnham Norton in the afternoon with eldest granddaughter in the hope of seeing a Barn Owl.  We walked from the small car park out to the sea wall but unfortunately there was no sign of any of the three reported Barn Owls, although we did record forty-six species.  The best were four Marsh Harriers, a Sparrowhawk and a Peregrine.  A brief visit to Burnham Overy Staithe produced six Grey partridge but nothing else of note.

The wind had increased significantly overnight with significant rain fall as the remains of hurricane Gonzalo passed through the UK.  It was still wet and very windy early morning and so my normal Titchwell visit was abandoned.  The weather improved steadily through the morning although it remained very windy.  I did get out to Titchwell during the afternoon and as I reached the Tidal Lagoon I was almost blown over.  I did manage to find a space to hunker down to observed the very rough sea, although it was fairly quiet, although I did see a single Gannet and Great Skua and remarkably a Hen Harrier appearing to come in off the sea.  I went into Parrinder Hide to get some rest bite from the wind and also as most of the birds were in the north east corner of the Freshwater Marsh.  There were seven Greenshanks roosting in the corner and a Jack Snipe was observed quite close to the hide.  Five Marsh Harriers were observed over the reedbed during the late evening and appeared to be enjoying the strong wind as they floated above the reedbed.  The only other bird of note was a drake Red-crested Pochard on the Reedbed Pool.

On Wednesday the 22^nd I did my normal early morning visit to Titchwell and walked out to the beach.  There was a ring-tailed Hen Harrier over the reedbed as I walked out but after watching it for a few minutes I continued on to the beach.  The wind was now just north of west and had eased quite a bit but as I scanned the sea there appeared to be very little.  I walked towards Thornham Point in the hope of finding a Shore Lark that had been present yesterday.  I did find it amongst the vegetation but it took to flight almost immediately and I was unable to relocate it.  As I began to walk back several Gannets were observed almost on the tide line and so I stopped and did a further scan of the sea.  It appeared to be still very quiet when five Great Skuas flew west and then I had another three further out.  Another ten minutes produced nothing else and so I continued walking back to the west bank.  There was very little as I walked back other than two more Great Skuas and most of the birds on the Freshwater Marsh and the water were on the eastern edge.  I thought that it was perhaps being drained but apparently they were trying to get the levels up and the reason for all the water being where it was was due to yesterday’s strong westerly.

During the afternoon I went for a walk to the beach at Brancaster and found two Stonechats close to the Golf Club House and a Brambling as I walked back to the cottage.

The following morning I decided to go back to Burnham Norton and hopefully see a Barn Owl.  When I arrived it was only just beginning to get a light and there was a Muntjac quite close to the car park.  I scanned the area but there was no sign of a Barn Owl and so I decided to walk east rather than towards the sea wall.  I hadn’t gone too far when a Barn Owl flew out in front of me and back towards where I had parked.  When I got back to the car the Barn Owl was feeding over the marsh and at one point came within ten meters providing excellent views.  The only other bird of note was a single Marsh Harrier.  Seeing the Barn Owl so early I went to Titchwell and today there was more water on the Freshwater Marsh and consequently more waders.  As I scanned I could see that many were Ruff and I counted 104 and there was also thirty-eight Dunlin.  Other waders included Avocet, Golden Plover, Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit and Redshank.  When I reached the beach another birder informed me that there was a Velvet Scoter but little else.  The scoter stood out pretty well and was not too far off shore and as I scanned the sea I picked up a Merlin coming in, which proceeded to head off in the direction of Holme.  As I walked back to the Freshwater Marsh hoping to see three Little Stints seen earlier, four Greenshanks and a Spotted Redshank flew over but I was unable to find the three stints.

When I got back the cottage my wife and daughter were going off to Holt shopping and so I decided to go to Holkham for a Surf Scoter.  As I drove down Lady Anne’s Drive a small group of birders were watching a party of Pink-footed Geese and amongst them was a Lesser Canada Goose, which was proving a little elusive as it was feeding at the back of the flock, although I did see it on several occasions.  I continued to end of the drive and after parking walked to Washington Hide before heading out on to the bay.  The tide was well out and I could see a group of birders in the distance that were hopefully watching the scoter.  When I eventually reached two of them they had the scoter, which was not too far out, although it often disappeared amongst the troughs.  It was a nice male, looking really black with the white nape patch standing out well.  I could also make out the orange and white on the rather large bill, although the white patch above the bill was less obvious.

I called at Burnham Overy Staithe on the way back to Brancaster where I saw a Great White Egret and a Black Brant.  There were also at least three Marsh Harriers and two Buzzards but there was no sign of the reported Rough-legged Buzzard.

Friday the 24^th was our last day and we needed to be out of the accommodation by 11:00.  My wife had noticed a moth that I was able to catch and photograph and later identify as a Mallow, which was new for me.

I made my final visit to Titchwell seeing an Eider and a couple of Red-breasted Mergansers over the sea and all of the usual waders on the shore and from the West Bank.  I also had a single Stonechat as I walked back but there was only a single Marsh Harrier seen today.  The journey home was uneventful although I did see seven Red Kites and a Sparrowhawk.

A day in West Norfolk - October 15, 2014

Yesterday there were some good birds on the east coast and in particular Norfolk and so Dave, Roger, Ken and I decided to go over for a day’s birding.  As we approached Kings Lynn the only bird of note was a Pallas’s Warbler near the toilet block at Holme and so we decided to head there first.  When we arrived there was just one other birder present but shortly afterwards there was quite a crowd but there was no sign of the reported Pallas’s or Yellow-browed Warblers.  Another birder then informed us that there was a Pallas’s Warbler showing well on the reserve and so we drove down to the pines.  We parked up and after paying we stood overlooking a group of Sycamores.  There were quite a few birds in the trees but initially everyone appeared to be a Goldcrest but then we saw a Chiffchaff.  After a fairly brief wait the Pallas’s put in an appearance and we had some very nice views as it fed on the edge of one of the Sycamores.  I also saw the Yellow-browed Warbler briefly and then again as it flew into the conifers.

A Great Grey Shrike had also been reported and so Dave, Roger and I went off in search of it without success, although we did see a couple of Sparrowhawk, eight Redwings and a Stonechat.  A brief sea watch produced very little with a single Gannet and circa forty Common Scoters being the best.  A tweet regarding a Great Grey Shrike at Thornham sent us in that direction, which is next village east along the coast.

There was no sign of the shrike and other than three Gannet and eight Little Egrets there was little else although there was a concentration of waders and gulls on the rising tide.

There was still no news on some of the better birds from yesterday and so we decided to call in at Titchwell to see if a Grey Phalarope was still present.  Dave went into the centre to find out whilst we parked the car.  We had a quick look over the end field whilst waiting for Dave but saw very little.  When he came back he thought we might be looking for a Great Grey Shrike that had been seen on a telegraph pole.  After discussing what was about it became apparent that the shrike was probably on Thornham Marsh and so we went to the west bank to look for it.  As we approached the area beyond the trees two other birders said it was still perched on the single telegraph pole.  However when we reached the area it had disappeared but it wasn’t too long before Dave had found near the old concrete building.  It was rather distant but we had reasonable views before it dropped out of sight.  We then found it back on the telegraph pole and it then flew further south and settled on top of a bush where it stayed for some time.  With a shower approaching and it being near lunchtime we went back to the car for lunch.

On checking the information on local birds it was not good news as both the Radde’s Warbler at Brancaster and the Red-flanked Bluetail at Stiffkey had not been seen and a second Radde’s at Wells had only been seen briefly by one observer and so we decided to stay at Titchwell.  As we walked out towards the sea it appeared as though there were fewer birds than our last visit but we did see a couple Blackcaps, two Stonechats and a Wheatear on Thornham Marsh as well as a couple of Spotted Redshank.  There were plenty of Golden Plover on the fresh marsh and there were also Avocet, Grey Plover, Dunlin, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwits, Bar-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Redshank and Turnstone as we made our way to the sea.

On reaching the beach the tide was still quite high and other then Oystercatcher and a few Turnstones there were no other waders.  The sea was also disappointing with just a single Red-throated Diver, four Eiders and a few Common Scoter being observed.  News came through that there was a Grey Phalarope at Thornham Point but after a brief discussion we decided not to go as it wasn’t clear exactly where it was.  We did go back to Thornham in the hope we might see it from there but the tide had gone out too far to give us a chance.  We found out later that it had been seen on the sea with gulls and that it was seen flying by Titchwell early afternoon.  However it was a mistake not to walk to Thornham as there were a couple of Shore Larks on the beach and we had also missed a Rough-legged Buzzard and Twite whilst we were at Titchwell.

Winter Black-tailed Godwit on Volunteer Marsh at Titchwell

Our final call was Choseley Barns but we saw nothing of note and set off for home.

Perhaps the day had not produced the wealth of birds we had hoped for but getting a Pallas’s Warbler always makes the journey worthwhile.

A day at Rutland Water, Rutland - October 14, 2014

The weather had been pretty rough yesterday with a strong north-east wind, particularly during the afternoon, and a Fulmar and two Great Skuas had been seen.  The two skuas were both present in the late afternoon and I hoped that they would remain until this morning.  I arrived at the north arm at around 07:30 and by the time I was kitted out I walked out to the spit with Steve to be greeted by Dave saying in about five minutes too late.  Apparently one had still been present and was preening on the water before it took to flight and was lost from view.  Terry and Allen joined us but despite an extensive search we couldn’t locate it and assumed it had departed.  Steve and Terry decided to do a circuit of the reservoir and Dave went off to Teal hide at Lyndon, leaving just Allen and I.  As we stood peering into the north arm Allen picked up a Little Gull and then said he had three and when I got on them I realised that there were five.  They were all adults and as we watched them they gained height and appeared to move off and were not seen again.  Whilst we were there we also found six Ringed Plovers, seven Dunlin, a Greenshank, a Redshank and a Wheatear.  The two Black-necked Grebes and the two Barnacle Geese were also in the north arm and Allen picked up a party of circa seventy Redwings, which were my first of the autumn.

I eventually went to the Egleton Reserve and walked back up the entrance road as there were quite a few birds flushed off the road as I arrived.  They were clearly mainly Blackbirds although there were also a few thrushes but all I saw were Blackbirds as I walked back.  I did find a female-type Blackcap amongst a party of tits, which was the first I had seen since September 13^th.  I spent a short while overlooking lagoon one before I had my lunch but I could find were eight Dunlin and four Snipe, although the Great White Egret had been present earlier.

After some lunch I went to Shoveler hide on lagoon three where there was a Black-tailed Godwit and three Redshank, although the water had risen quite a bit since my last visit.  A Water Rail then appeared on the island in front of the hide and walked the full length of it before swimming to the reeds to the right.  As it was reaching the edge of the reeds it raised its wings showing dark barring on the under-wing, something I have not seen before.  With little else I went to Lapwing hide where I found a couple of Goldeneye and two Black-tailed Godwits roosting on lagoon two.  I went back to Shoveler hide to see if the godwit was still present and it was and so there were three Black-tailed Godwits.

I continued on to sandpiper hide on lagoon four where I found Ken, Steve and Terry.  I spoke to Steve about a white Black-headed Gull Bob and seen earlier and just afterwards he said “here this white Black-headed Gull” only to almost immediately say no it’s a Mediterranean Gull.  He and Terry then left the hide and Ken and I remained for a while counting thirty Pintail and thirty-seven Golden Plovers and finding a Dunlin and a Redshank.

I returned to the north arm with Ken where we found one of the two Black-necked Grebes and four female-type Red-crested Pochard.  With the weather not showing much improvement we finally called it a day and headed off home.

A morning at Rutland Water, Rutland - October 12, 2014

I was at Rutland Water today to assist in the wildfowl count and was joined by Erik to count South Arm Three.

Whilst we were waiting for the fog to clear near the cottage we had a Green Woodpecker and a couple of Nuthatch.  When the fog had almost gone we all moved off but when Erik and I reached the south arm there was still thick fog and it must have been almost forty-five minutes before we were able to start.  There were plenty of Mute Swan, Wigeon and Tufted Duck along with a good number of Great Crested Grebe.  Other wildfowl was present in small numbers, including Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Pochard and a single Goldeneye.  There was also a Ruff and a Redshank near the Old Hall but there was just a single Lapwing seen.

We went to the north arm to look for a party of Whooper Swans reported earlier.  We found out that Tim and Lloyd had seen them during their count but there was no sign of them now but we did see the two Black-necked Grebes.  As there was no sign of the swans we helped Lloyd and Tim with their count.  When we had finished Lloyd had found a female Scaup, which we saw in the north arm and then he found a male and another female in the fishponds, which we also saw.  We also saw the Great White Egret on lagoon one when I handed in our count figures but then called it a day.

A day in West Norfolk - October 11, 2014

I was out with Dave, Roger and Ken and we were on our way to Burnham Norton and hopefully a Steppe Grey Shrike that has been present since the 6^th.  All we saw on route were a couple of Buzzards and a couple of Jays but news had reached us before we arrived that the shrike was still present.  On arrival after parking we walked along the path from the village towards the sea wall and a group of birders that were obviously watching the shrike.  We were surprised on arrival that it was so close and we had some superb views and I was able to get some decent photos in what was pretty poor light.  We also saw a single Marsh Harrier and Stonechat and a number of Pink-footed Geese.

Steppe Grey Shrike

Steppe Grey Shrike

Steppe Grey Shrike

Steppe Grey Shrike

Steppe Grey Shrike

Steppe Grey Shrike

Steppe Grey Shrike

After a good hour with bird we decided to move on and walked back to the car and headed for Titchwell.

When we reached the car park Craig and Erik had arrived and we all started to walk to the sea together.  The news was encouraging at Titchwell as there appeared to be a good selection of birds on the sea following an exceptional high tide.  As we walked down the west bank a Bittern flew over heading towards Thornham Marsh and provided some nice views.  There were plenty of waders on the fresh marsh and a Spotted Redshank and three Greenshank flew over.  However we decided to press onto the beach as the tide had turned and it was likely that the birds might drift out on the tide.  When we reached the beach our concerns were justified as most of the birds were now distant but we did manage to find four Red-breasted Mergansers, two Red-throated Divers, two Black-throated Divers, at least six Gannets, an Arctic Skua, seven Sandwich Terns, a Guillemot and three Razorbill.  There were also plenty of Great Crested Grebes but we couldn't find the reported Slavonian Grebes.  Bar-tailed Godwits were also present in good numbers as were Grey Plover and there were a few Knot.  However Oystercatcher, Sanderling and Turnstone were rather scarce with only one Sanderling and two Turnstones being seen.

As we walked back towards the centre Dave heard a Stonechat call and we soon found it perched on Thornham Marsh.  We went out to the Parrinder Hide where we spent more time going through the waders seeing three Avocets, c.500 Golden Plover, a few Dunlin, eight Ruff, sixty-plus Black-tailed Godwits, twelve Spotted Redshank and several Redshanks.  Tony, who had joined us earlier, found a Marsh Harrier on one of the islands and a Bittern flew over at considerable height.  As we walked back towards the car park Roger found a juvenile Little Stint but we then noticed a crowed developing near island hide and so we moved on.  There was a Yellow-browed Warbler in the willows between the path and the hide, which we saw several times as it fed.  There was also a Chiffchaff and a Reed Warbler in the same group of bushes.  We eventually returned to the car for lunch and then decided to go back to see if we could find Bearded Tit.  We had no luck with the Bearded Tits but Dave did catch up with the Little Stint.  As we walked back to the car park we met Terry who was on his way to hopefully see the Yellow-browed Warbler, which we believed had moved on.  He informed us that there was a Firecrest near the buildings and so we continued on.

When we arrived there was quite a gathering but as we joined then we realised they were watching a Yellow-browed Warbler, which we assumed was the one we had seen before lunch, although there were two present the following day.  We were pointed in the right direction for the Firecrest and it wasn't too long before we had decent views, although as it disappeared I turned to see Dave looking in the wrong direction and he hadn’t seen it.  I was pretty sure it had gone over the staff car park and we soon found again and this time he also saw it well.

We had talked about going to Thornham earlier as there had been Twite reported there but all we saw were three Marsh Harriers, a Sparrowhawk and three Rock Pipits and Choseley Barns failed to produce any Grey partridge or Corn Buntings and so we headed off home.

Marsh Harrier over Thronham Marsh

A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - October 10, 2014

I was out a little later today due to granddaughter duties and initially called at Eyebrook Reservoir, seeing very little on route.  The Little Owl was sat in the old oak today as I approached the reservoir and there was a single Shelduck and four Pintail around the inlet.  A single Little Egret was observed roosting in the tree close to the bridge and there was a Dunlin, three Ruff and three Snipe at the inlet.  There were three different Red Kites and a single Buzzard observed around the fields and there was still plenty of Red-legged Partridge just west of the reservoir.

I called Steve as I was driving to Rutland Water but all he had seen was the Ring-necked Duck in Dickinson’s Bay and so I decided to go into the north arm and look for a Little Stint that has been present for a few days.  There was a Greenshank and five Ringed Plovers on the end of the spit and a more careful look produced the juvenile Little Stint and a Wheatear.  I called Steve to let him know that it was still present as he hadn’t seen it earlier.  A Yellow-legged Gull resting on one the buoys flew off when it was harassed by a Great Black-backed Gull and I did find a single Ruff on the north shore.  Steve eventually joined me but the stint had disappeared but we soon found it again as it had just moved to another spit.  Whilst we were watching the Little Sting Steve heard a Rock Pipit call that then flew over heading south.

We were joined by another a birder and whilst we stood taking I saw a group of Tufted Duck coming into the fishponds and alerted the others and Steve picked up the Ring-necked Duck amongst the flock, which I just got onto as it disappeared behind the trees.  It had clearly landed in the fishponds but despite a search we couldn’t locate it.  I and Steve had lunch before we joined Craig near the stone trough to get a different view of the fishponds.  They hadn’t seen it when I arrived and as I scanned I picked up what I thought might be it but it was asleep with its head on its back.  The head shape appeared right and there didn’t appear to be a tuft and as I compared it to a Tufted Duck alongside I could see that the spur went further onto the back than the Tufted.  I alerted Steve and Craig to what I thought was the bird and whilst trying to get them on it, it lifted its head and showed the diagnostic bill pattern.  It is an eclipse male and is surprisingly difficult to find amongst the several thousand Tufted Duck that frequent the fishponds.

Feeling pretty pleased in finding it I moved onto the Egleton Reserve and initially went to the Bird Watching Centre to view lagoon one.  There were six Curlew, five beyond the long island and another on the island, and there were two Snipe in front of the island.  One of the Greta White Egret then appeared at the back of the lagoon but again there was no sign of the second and there is now some doubt if the second is still here.

I eventually moved on to Shoveler hide on lagoon three seeing a Jay on route.  There were far fewer birds today although there was a single Black-tailed Godwit to the left of the hide and two Hobbies were also observed.  Steve then arrived and almost immediately picked up a couple of Goldeneye but there was very little else.  I moved onto crake and Lapwing hides but other than a Little Egret from crake and three Goldeneye from Lapwing there was little else.  I walked around to Dunlin hide on lagoon four to checks out the gulls and all five of the common gulls were present and also a few Yellow-legged.  There were also twenty-five Golden Plovers and five Ringed Plovers on one of the islands that may well have been the five seen earlier in the north arm as there had also been a Little Stint earlier, which had now disappeared.  As I continued to scan I saw a single Ruff and two Dunlin but other than a Barnacle Goose amongst the Greylag and Egyptian Geese there was little else.

Canada Geese on lagoon three

Juvenile Hobby over lagoon three

Juvenile Hobby over lagoon three

Moorhen on lagoon three

Grey Heron from crake hide

Gadwall from crake hide

Juvenile Cormorant from Lapwing hide

Little Egret from Lapwing hide

Wigeon from Lapwing hide

I called at grebe hide on my way back to the car park where there were two Black-tailed Godwits and a couple of Pintail.

A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - October 7, 2014

I called at Eyebrook Reservoir first today but other than fifteen Snipe and few Lapwings there were no other waders at the inlet.  There were a couple of Shelduck and three Pintail on the water and a Red Kite and Great Spotted Woodpecker were observed in flight.

Whilst at Eyebrook Reservoir I had a call from Steve informing me that the drake Ring-necked Duck was showing well in Dickinson’s Bay.  I headed straight off but as I walked down towards the bay two fishing boats came cruising down the north arm and were causing significant disturbance and I could see the flock of Tufted Duck gradually taking to flight as the boat approached.  As I got into the bay most of the birds had flown but fortunately the Ring-necked Duck was still present with last of the Tufted Ducks.  I had a quick look through Terry’s scope and just got it in my own on it just as it went with the last two Tufted Duck.  It flew off towards the fishponds circling a few times before eventually coming down in the fishponds.  There were fifty-four Pintail in Dickson’s Bay and three Red-crested Pochard and Terry picked up a Marsh Harrier being mobbed by a crow over Burley Wood.  I then noticed two Buzzards on the shore line with one feeding on a dead fish with the second looking on rather anxiously.

Steve and Terry moved onto Whitwell and I went to the back to the north arm.  I had a look in the fishponds for the Ring-necked Duck but couldn’t find it although it had been seen earlier.  As I started to walk down to the spit Steve called to say they had found a couple of Rock Pipits at Whitwell and so I headed off to hopefully see them.  I searched the area where they had seen them but there was no sign but I found later that they moved to nearer the toilet block.

I returned to the north arm but there was still no sign of the Ring-necked Duck and on walking to the end of the spit I couldn't find any of the Ringed Plovers and Dunlin that Steve and Terry had seen earlier.  They had also had another five Red-crested Pochard but there was no sign of these either and most of the duck were now very distant having been disturbed by several fishing boats.  I did manage to find the two Black-necked Grebes in the centre of the arm and a Greenshank flew by heading towards the fishponds.  After having my lunch whilst searching unsuccessfully for the Ring-necked Duck I moved off to the Egleton Reserve seeing a Raven on route.

On arriving at the Egleton I went into the centre to view lagoon one.  There was a Redshank and a Green Sandpiper to the right and a Curlew flew in behind the long island.  One of the two Greta White Egrets also appeared at the back of the lagoon but there was no sign of the second.  A Sparrowhawk flew over the centre and a Hobby passed over and headed off over lagoon two.

I eventually set off towards lagoon three and four but took shelter in Redshank hide on lagoon two from a downpour, which lasted quite some time.  There was very little viewable from the hide except for two Hobby that flew over before the worst of the rain and female/immature Grey Wagtail that was present almost all of the time I was in the hide.  As the rain eased I made my way to Shoveler hide on lagoon three.  On entering the hide another birder had is scope set up on a Marsh Harrier that was sitting at the base of the reeds appearing to be eating something.  It eventually took to flight and after quartering the reeds for a while dropped into them.  There were far fewer birds on the lagoon today but there were five Red-crested Pochards, which I assumed were probably those seen in the north arm by Steve and Terry earlier.  The Marsh Harrier was then observed quartering the reedbed but then flew off low towards south arm three.  One of the other birders indicated that he had seen two Knot, several Ringed Plover and Dunlin and a possible Little Stint from Dunlin hide on lagoon four and so I went to take a look.

On entering the hide I found five Ringed Plovers and two Dunlin quite quickly and then I noticed two other waders being harassed by Lapwings and I could see that they were Dunlin.  A third bird was then flushed by a Lapwing and as it turned I thought it had a white rump but it dropped behind some rocks but was soon flushed again by the Lapwing and it eventually settled in front of the rocks and I could see that it was a nice juvenile Curlew Sandpiper. I informed Steve and Tim of the find and Steve said he would join me in about thirty minutes as he was in Snipe hide on the wet meadow.  I continued to watch the Curlew Sandpiper and the two Dunlin as the fed and preened along the front edge of the island.  The Dunlin suddenly got rather jumpy and both flew towards island one with the Curlew Sandpiper in pursuit.  They all settled briefly in front of island one but again the Dunlin took to flight and the sandpiper followed.  They flew low over the lagoon when suddenly the gained height and headed off south and presumable departed.  The Curlew Sandpiper had not been reported earlier and I suspect that they came down in the heavy rain and still had the urge to head south.  As I continued to scan the lagoon Steve arrived and was disappointed to have missed the sandpiper by just a few minutes.  I then found a Ruff and Steve picked up a Raven and a Sparrowhawk over Burley and two Buzzards, one over lagoon three and the other at the back of lagoon four.

I finally decided to call it a day but Steve was going to have a coffee and then take a look on lagoon three before coming back to lagoon four to view the gathering of gulls at the pre-roost.

I was almost back to the centre when he called to say he had a Goosander on lagoon three, which was the first of the autumn.  I headed back to Shoveler hide only to be told on arrival that it had disappeared behind the island.  I decided to go and take a look from Bittern hide but hadn’t gone too far when Steve called to say it was back out and so I returned to the hide but it had now gone behind the reed island.  I felt my best option was now to go to Buzzard hide and on entering the hide found the female Goosander heading back to the island and eventually out of sight again.  There were also an additional four Red-crested Pochard on the lagoon.

It was an appropriate time to call it a day and I headed off back to the car park seeing a Curlew as I approached lagoon one.

A morning in Leicestershire - October 5, 2014

Dave and I went to Dean’s Lane this morning in the hope of seeing some visible migration.  When we arrived Roger and Steve were already there and indicated it was very quiet.  There was some migration but it was very slow and by 10:00 had almost stopped and so Dave and I decided to go to Swithland Reservoir before heading off home.  The best at Dean’s Lane were a couple of Siskin but as always there were Buzzard, Kestrel, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Nuthatch and we did hear a Chiffchaff.

On reaching the southern causeway at Swithland Reservoir there were numerous wildfowl on the southern section, mainly Wigeon but there was also Gadwall; Mallard; Shoveler and Tufted Duck and we did find ten Mandarin and Grey Wagtail.  There were far fewer birds on the northern section with Teal and Great Crested Grebe being the dominate species and we also found a single Goldeneye and a Little Egret.

An early morning moth trapping in Wigston Magna, Leicestershire - October 3, 2014

There were twenty-six moths of ten species in the trap last night, two of which were new for the garden, Beautiful Plume and Blair’s Shoulder-knot, and a third, Vapourer, was new for the year.

The following were recorded: Garden Rose Tortrix [1]; Beautiful Plume [1]; Vapourer [1]; Shuttle-shaped Dart [3]; Lesser Yellow Underwing [2]; Blair’s Shoulder-knot [3]; Beaded Chestnut [3]; Centre-barred Sallow [1]; Lunar Underwing [10] and Snout [1].

Vapourer

Blair's Shoulder-knot

Beaded Chestnut

A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - October 2, 2014

Dave, Roger and I had agreed we would go to the high point of Goadby Road out of Hallaton to check it out for visible migration.  However with the winds being light northerly we did not expect any visible migration but decided we would go anyway.  Roger parked the car off the road and we continued to walk further along the road.  The light wasn’t too brilliant on arrival and we were unable to get any details on a flock of birds progressing along the edge in front of us but suspected they were probably Tree Sparrows.  I did find a Chiffchaff in the hedgerow and we had further views of probably the same bird at the top of the hill.  There were plenty of bird in the dense wooded copse and we could hear Tree Sparrows and saw Chaffinch and Blue Tit.  We heard and saw both Skylark and Meadow Pipit, with some appearing to be moving into the wind and we also saw five Swallow clearly moving north.  We heard Golden Plover calling and I picked it up as it flew off to the west only to turn and comeback towards us.  As Roger and I started to walk back down the hill, Roger picked up a bird perched at the top of one of two hedgerow trees.  We were unsure what it was and Roger went back to the car for his scope.  I continued to observe the bird and it moved slightly as another bird flew over, turning to face me.  I was now pretty sure that it was a Wheatear, which was confirmed by Dave and Roger when they got back with their scopes.  After fetching my scope we walked back to the top of the hill but saw much of the same but also three Jays and a flock of c.100 Linnets.  We eventually decided to go to Eyebrook Reservoir.

As we entered the road to the reservoir Roger picked up a Wheatear on the spoil heap but there was no sign of the Little Owls.  Despite the water level looking good for waders we could only find five Snipe.  There was a distant Little Egret and I counted eight Pintail and then Dave noticed an adult female Shelduck amongst the small party of Black-headed Gulls.  A party of birds that had moved along the hedgerow kept us entertained for a while and contained Blue Tits, Great Tits, Long-tailed Tits, a Chiffchaff and Reed Buntings.  There were also several Dunnock and Yellowhammer in the corner of a set-a-side strip.

Roger then drove to the dam at Rutland Water where we soon found the Red-necked Grebe that was now in full winter plumage and there was also a single Grey Wagtail along the dam.  Four Red Kites were also observed beyond Empingham village.

We then parked at the bottom of the road to Barnsdale and walked the short distance to Dickinson’s Bay where there had been a couple of Black-necked Grebes recently.  There was no sign of the Black-necked Grebes in the bay but I did count twenty-seven Pintail.  I started to scan into the north arm where there were plenty of Wigeon and Tufted Duck and eventually found the two Black-necked Grebes appearing to be closer to the fishponds.

When we arrived at the fishponds and walked towards the spit we soon found the Black-necked Grebes but they were still some way off.  I found a Ruff on the north shore and it was joined by a second and when they flew one came back with two Ringed Plovers and then Dave found a Greenshank.  There were two Barnacle Geese on the north shore, which are presumably some of the regular wintering flock.  Scanning over Burley Wood we found three Red Kites, a Sparrowhawk and at least four Buzzards and I also found a Hobby between the wood and the reservoir.  As I walked back up the road to join Roger and Dave a Grey Wagtail flew over the cottage.

After having some lunch in the Egleton car park we established that the two Great White Egrets had been disturbed on lagoon one by a working party and had flown off to the north of the reservoir.  We checked out lagoon two from Smew hide but there was no sign of the egrets but there were another fifteen Pintail.  From Lapwing hide Dave picked up a Goldeneye on the main water and Roger found a Black-tailed Godwit on lagoon two.

Grey Heron on lagoon two

Cormorant over South Arm Three

We also checked out lagoon three from Buzzard hide but there was very little as there was another working party in front of Bittern hide.  We tried Shoveler hide and we did see five Snipe and a Green Sandpiper flew in and stayed briefly.  I then picked up a Water Rail on the edge of the reed island and shortly afterwards Roger found another right under the hide.

In sandpiper hide on lagoon four there were seven Yellow-legged Gulls amongst the flock of gulls, which were mainly Black-headed Gulls but there was also Common, Lesser Black-backed and Great Black-backed Gulls.  A single Ruff was the only wader we found and there was an immature Shelduck.

As we were walking back to the centre other birders indicated that there was still no sign of the Great White Egrets and so we went into Redshank hide to check out lagoon two but it was very quiet.

Great Spotted Woodpecker in the Egleton Meadows

When we walked into the centre one of the volunteers informed us that there was a Great White Egret at the back of the lagoon.  We went up stairs to the viewing area and were soon scoping one of the two Great White Egrets but the second remained elusive.  There was another Ruff towards harrier hide and two Curlew were feeding behind the long island but other than five Little Egrets there was little else and we called it a day.

A day at Rutland Water, Rutland - September 30, 2014

I was out a little earlier today as there had been two Great White Egrets on lagoon three at Rutland Water yesterday afternoon.  On reaching the car park I set off down the service road towards lagoon three and met Richard Bayldon, who had already been in all three hides on lagoon three without success but was having to leave to go to work.  I decided to go to Smew hide on lagoon two to see if they were there but on a quick scan there was no sign.  There were a few Pintail on the lagoon and I started to count them when I came across one of the egrets and then found the second behind some reeds.  I called Steve to let him know they were still here, although he had seen them yesterday Terry had not.  I went to Lapwing hide where I could see both birds clearly, although they were rather distant.  They appeared to be close to Osprey hide and so I felt it would be worthwhile going there.

Great White Egrets from Lapwing hide

As I walked back towards Osprey hide I met Steve and Terry who were on their way to Lapwing hide and after a quick discussion we continued on our way.  A few minutes later Steve called to say that he had seen them from over the fence and that they should be visible from grebe hide and so I continued on beyond Osprey in the hope of seeing them from grebe.  I spent a few minutes scanning without any joy and met Steve and Terry as I was leaving the hide.  Steve felt sure they should be visible and so I went back into the hide with him and Terry carried on to Redshank hide.  Again I scanned the area and couldn’t see either of the birds when Steve said one was in full view.  Another scan and still no joy and after a brief discussion it became apparent that it was hidden by a willow blocking my view.  Terry had come back and one eventually appeared, although the sun was now breaking through making viewing less than desirable.  A Kingfisher then flew in front of the hide and landed just to the left giving reasonable views.  Steve and Terry decided that they would continue with their routine, which was to visit several sites around the reservoir and come back later to see the egrets hopefully in better light.  I moved off to Osprey hide but on arrival there was no sign but one appeared in front of the hide a few minutes later and a I managed to get a few photos.  When it disappeared from view again I went to Shoveler hide on lagoon three were I found at least eight Snipe, two Green Sandpiper and a two Greenshank.  I advised three other birders as to where the egrets were and remained in Shoveler before moving off back to the centre and on to Snipe hide on the wet meadow.

Great White Egret from Osprey hide

Great White Egret from Osprey hide

Greenshank from Shoveler hide

Greenshank from Shoveler hide

Snipefrom Shoveler hide

There was very little on the wet meadow although I did have some nice views of a couple of Chiffchaffs and found a single Snipe on the edge of the flash.  Whilst I observed a Kestrel over the wet meadow I picked up a distant Hobby over the centre, which then proceeded to hawk over the wood before disappearing.  I continued on to Fieldfare hide and then to Gadwall hide, where there had been numerous duck last week but there was very little today except for a single Little Egret, a few Little Grebes and masses of Canada Geese.

Red-legged Partridge from Snipe hide

Grey Heron alighting on the wet meadow flash

Chiffchaff from Snipe hide

Chiffchaff from Snipe hide

Bkue Tit from Snipe hide

Mallard from Fieldfare hide

As I made my way back to the centre a couple informed me that they egrets had flown off just after they had opened the flaps in Smew hide and had not been seen since.

Cormorant over the Egleton Reserve

I called back at Snipe hide and saw a couple of Hobbies but nothing else of note and went back to the car park for lunch.

Whilst having lunch a Hobby flew over the car park and a Buzzard was observed just to the north.  I had been talking to Norman who was disappointed that the egrets had gone but he had seen one as it headed off over lagoon one.  A few minutes later his pager indicated that they had returned and were now back on lagoon two.  We walked down towards Smew hide where we met Brian who had seen them on lagoon two and as we talked Norman saw one fly over and appeared to go down on lagoon four.  We walked back to the short distance and climbed the ramp to sandpiper hide and Brian picked it up as it did its best to hide behind one of the islands.  It eventually came out and shortly afterwards flew to the western edge of the lagoon.  Ken then arrived and after observing it at some distance decided to go to Dunlin hide for a closer view.  A Red Kite also provided some nice views as it drifted over the lagoon.

Red Kite over lagoon four

Red Kite over lagoon four

Red Kite over lagoon four

Red Kite over lagoon four

I moved onto Shoveler hide on lagoon three where there were now three Greenshanks but no sign of any Green Sandpiper.  A juvenile Marsh Harrier then flew over the reedbed and after appearing to go over to lagoon four returned and came very close to the hide, giving excellent views.

Juvenile Marsh Harrier

Juvenile Marsh Harrier

Juvenile Marsh Harrier

A few minutes later someone indicated that there was a Little Egret flying over and as I looked it turned out to be one of the Great White Egrets and after circling it flew off towards the north arm.  I called Steve who was in the north arm and immediately picked it up passing directly over him and Terry.  Ken then joined me in the hide and it wasn’t too long afterwards when I picked up the Great White Egret returning from the north arm but it landed out of sight behind the reed island.  It was less than a minute later when it reappeared being pursued by a Grey Heron.  It then flew off towards lagoon two and appeared to come down on the lagoon.

Greenshank on lagoon thee

Greenshank on lagoon thee

Little Egret on lagoon three

Gadwall over lagoon three

Great White Egret over lagoon three

Great White Egret over lagoon three

Ken and I went to Smew hide to hopefully get further views of the egret.  When we entered the hide it wasn’t too far way and a few seconds later we found the second bird close by.  It had been some time since I last saw a Great White Egret so well and it was surprising how elegant they are and how thin their neck is.  Colin then called to ask if they were still about and shortly afterwards Dave called and he was a bit down as he had gone to the north arm looking for one, only to find they weren’t there.  He was surprised and relieved when I told him that Ken and I were having good views from Smew hide and he said he was on his way.

We had been watching both birds strut around the lagoon and were surprised that neither of them appeared to have attempted to catch anything.  When Dave arrived we explained what we had seen and he almost immediately said that one has just caught a Perch and as we watched it caught a rather nice second one, which it took longer to swallow.  The second bird was then seen to catch to smaller Perch in quick succession and we hoped they might stay a while if the feeding was good.  Colin had now also joined us as we continued to photograph and enjoy the birds.

Great White Egret from Smew hide

Great White Egrets from Smew hide

Great White Egret from Smew hide

Great White Egret from Smew hide

Great White Egret from Smew hide

Great White Egret from Smew hide

The birds eventually moved further away with one making a short sortie to lagoon one and so we moved off to Dunlin hide on lagoon four with Colin going to Shoveler on lagoon three.

There was nothing other than seven Yellow-legged Gulls amongst the resting gulls but we did find three Ruff and another Greenshank and an immature Shelduck flew in and a Sparrowhawk over.  Dave and Ken departed earlier than myself but I had very little else, the best being another view of a Hobby and a Marsh Tit near the centre.