Thursday 27 November 2014

A day in Cleveland - November 26, 2014

There had been a juvenile Isabelline Wheatear present at Seaton Snook since the 23rd and with David needing it for his British List, Roger Ken and I went along with him hoping to see it.  The M1 was closed between junctions 21a and 22 and so we decided to go via the A46 and A1, which was OK but there was very heavy traffic around Doncaster and the approach to the M62 and it took us almost four hours after picking up Roger.  We had received news that it was still present as we travelled up and we arrived on site at 10:50.  After parking we walked along the road to the beach and found several birders assembled on the beach and the wheatear was just a few feet away.  We had some excellent views during our hour stay and I managed to get some reasonable photos despite the overcast conditions.  It spent most of the time feeding within a few feet but was quite mobile; running quickly, presumably after prey and it seemed totally unconcerned by the small gathering of birders.  It did fly on a couple of occasions but soon made its way back to where we had first seen it.

















Isabelline Wheatear

A male and female Eider, a Red-breasted Merganser and a Turnstone were observed on the rocky point towards the sea but there was little else of note.

We went to Hartlepool Headland for lunch where we saw three drake Eiders, a couple of Red-throated Divers, four Oystercatchers and a Turnstone.

A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - November 25, 2014

I headed straight to Rutland Water this morning seeing a Red Kite near Tugby, a Buzzard near Manton and eight Fieldfare near Great Glen.


When I arrived in the Egleton car park there was clearly some thicker fog over lagoon one and so I set off down the service road to Buzzard hide on lagoon three.  The juvenile Red-necked Grebe had been seen quite close to the hide on several occasions on Saturday and I was hoping for a repeat performance today.  I found the Red-necked Grebe almost straight away but it was some distance off behind the nesting platforms before it swam with a Great Crested Grebe out of sight.  I waited quite some time but it failed to reappear again and seeing very little else I moved on to crake hide where there was a single Little Egret and a Sparrowhawk flew out of the bushes and flew off over lagoon three.  I continued on to Lapwing hide where there two quite large rafts of wildfowl, which were mainly Wigeon, Tufted Duck and Coot.  The light was pretty poor due to the mist and the sun trying to break through and so I made my way back to Smew hide where I found five Pintail on lagoon two.  I went back into Buzzard hide but there was still no sign of the Red-necked Grebe and so I went into Shoveler hide and eventually found near the centre of the lagoon as it preened and moved slowly to the left.  I had scanned the water quite a few times and was surprised that I hadn’t seen it before considering where it now was.


Female Shoveler on lagoon three


Drake Pochard over lagoon three

I called at sandpiper hide on lagoon four where the water is now very high but other than a couple of Shelduck and a few Shoveler there was little else and so I went back to the centre.

I had brief views of a Marsh Tit near grebe hide whilst I was scanning the alders for Siskin but only finding Goldfinches.  On reaching the centre there were two male and three female Goosanders near the long island and I counted twenty-seven Pintail as well as seeing six Curlew feeding on the meadow.

After some lunch I went to the north arm where I saw both Great White Egrets, along with twenty-three Little Egrets, and a Black-necked Grebe and counted another eighteen Pintail.

Steve had seen the Long-tailed Duck from Teal hide at Lyndon and so I drove around to the Lyndon Reserve and walked the short distance to Teal hide but was I unable to locate the Long-tailed Duck although I did find another Black-necked Grebe and there were fourteen Dunlin at the base of Lax Hill and an adult Yellow-legged Gull just off the island.  There was also seven Tree Sparrows and a Marsh Tit at the feeding station.

I called briefly at Eyebrook Reservoir on route home where I saw four Shelduck, four Red Kites over the fields and two Fieldfare flew over.  I also saw another two Buzzards, one near Cranoe and the other near Kibworth on route home.

Sunday 23 November 2014

A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - November 22, 2014

David, Roger and I set off for Eyebrook Reservoir this morning in were quite murky conditions that didn’t get a great deal better during the day.  We arrived at Eyebrook Reservoir from the northern end and saw both Little Owls as we approached the reservoir.  A stop at the bridge produced just a few common species and we could see three Shelduck and three Little Egrets towards the reservoir.  We continued round the eastern edge but a Snipe and few Lapwings were the only waders.  A Kingfisher was observed on one of the old branches in the stream and remained for quite some time.  There was also a fourth Shelduck and a male Stonechat but with very little else we moved off to the Lyndon Reserve at Rutland Water.

We drove down the track to the visitors centre and went to view the feeding station.  There were a few Blue and Great Tits, Chaffinch, Greenfinch and Goldfinch and a single Coal Tit made several visits with up to six Tree Sparrows were also visiting.  A male and female Kestrel were observed at the nest box and three Redwing flew over.  The only other bird of note was a Redshank that was observed in flight and on the shore.

We went to the north arm next, when we were joined by Ken, and we found a party of passerines that included Blue, Great, Coal, Marsh and Long-tailed Tits.  We continued on towards the end of the spit where we counted fourteen Little Egrets near the bund and there was also a male and two female Goosander close by.  As we scanned the far shore Roger noticed some Dunlin of which there were ten along with two Redshanks.  There were fifteen Pintail on the north shore and David then found a party of Red-crested Pochard, seven males and two females and one of the Great White Egret in the southern corner.  David then found the Slavonian Grebe that was feeding just beyond a group of Coot.  I realised that I had left my camera on view in the car and so went back to get it.  As I walked back the second Great White Egret was in the fishponds and I found the party of passerines and added Goldcrest to the mix.  There was also a Great Spotted Woodpecker on the old dead tree.  When I got back they had found the two Black-necked Grebes near Dickinson’s Bay and when I saw them they had moved further down the north shore and were now much closer.  Whilst we were in the north arm we had brief views of a Sparrowhawk as it flashed across the path and behind the wood.  As we walked back to the car we had further views of the Great White Egret in the fishponds but there was nothing else.

On reaching the car park we took an early lunch before David and Roger set off to harrier hide to hopefully see a Green Sandpiper, whilst Ken and I went into the centre.  As I scanned a party Lapwing at the back of the lagoon I found the Green Sandpiper amongst them.  I called Roger to let them now and after an unsuccessful attempt from Mallard hide they returned to the centre.  Fortunately the Green Sandpiper was still on view but other than twenty-four Pintail and a Redshank there was little else.

Roger had a problem with his tripod and took back to the car and with David and Ken already on route to Shoveler hide on lagoon three I set off after them.  As I walked through the meadows I saw at least fourteen Redwings and when I caught up with David and Ken they were scoping some Goldfinches through the trees.  I went back to Redshank hide area to try and see them and established that they were all Goldfinch and the flock didn’t contain either Siskin of Redpoll.  A quick look from Redshank hid produced more Pintail but nothing else.  When I returned to the footpath David and Ken had disappeared and there was no sign of Roger.  I continued on to Shoveler hide, which was rather full and Rick told me they had gone to Buzzard hide when I got there it was also full.  They had seen the Red-necked Grebe but it was not visible now from Buzzard and so I returned to Shoveler hide.  At least I was able to get a seat in Shoveler and after a few minutes scanning I found the Red-necked Grebe.  There were four more Pintail on the lagoon but when I returned to Buzzard hide to rejoin the others Ken informed me that they had gone to Lapwing hide.  I went to Smew hide where I counted twenty-four Pintail on lagoon two and then went to Bittern hide in the hope of seeing the Red-necked Grebe.  I found it sleeping some distance off before it began to move back towards Buzzard hide and I also saw a Little Egret and a Redshank.

We called at plover hide on lagoon four where we saw two more Little Egrets and two Shelduck but we couldn’t find anything unusual amongst the rather small concentration of gulls.

We went back to the centre where there was a male and two female Goosander and two Curlew.  The centre closed at 16:00 and we had to leave but not before we found a couple of Buzzards perched in the poplars.


A Barn Owl had been seen recently in the car park but despite us staying until dark there was no sign but we did hear a Little Owl before setting off for home.

Friday 21 November 2014

An afternoon at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell, Northamptonshire November 20, 2014

David, Roger and I went to Blueberry Farm this afternoon in the hope of seeing Short-eared Owl as there had been two in the southern fields recently.  We approached the southern fields from Hanging Houghton, which is just south of Maidwell.  The weather appeared perfect for the owls to be performing and we were quite optimistic in seeing them.  There were another couple of birders on site when we arrived and another arrived just after ourselves.  There was a male a female Stonechat that performed well for most of our visit and we also saw two Buzzards, a Kestrel and a Green Woodpecker as well as a nice flock of Skylark.  However despite the weather seeming ideal we had no luck with owls despite staying quite late.  As the sun went behind the hills a mist began to form over the area and when we left it was quite strange as it was quite thick from ground level for about a meter but quite clear above.

Wednesday 19 November 2014

A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - November 18, 2014

I went to Eyebrook Reservoir on route to Rutland Water seeing a couple of Red Kites as I drove along Stockerston Lane and a Buzzard just after coming out of Blaston.

I approached the reservoir from the southern end and found five Fieldfare and two Tree Sparrows near the old feeding station.  Surprisingly there were still plenty of Red-legged Partridges around considering the regular shoots and I counted sixty from the southern perimeter road.  When I arrived at inlet most birds were in the air but they soon settled and there were twenty Golden Plovers, four Dunlin and twelve Snipe, although the water had risen and there was no visible mud.  I had counted forty-eight Pochard near the island, which is a good number for here but other than a Shelduck at the inlet there was little else.


When I arrived at the Rutland Water Bird Watching Centre I decided to walk to Lax Hill and check out the feeding station.  I had single Coal and Marsh Tits on the centre feeders and Tim asked me to fill the feeders on Lax Hill if necessary.  I called at Snipe hide initially and as I approached the hide a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over.  There was a pair of Shelduck on the flash and a Great White Egret was visible on the long island on lagoon one and a Buzzard on the old Kestrel box and I also counted thirty-three Pintail on the lagoon.  With little else I moved on to harrier hide but saw very little and so moved onto Fieldfare hide.  As I walked along the path a Red Kite was observed to the east and eleven Redwings were observed in the wood to the right but there was very little from Fieldfare and so I continued.  On reaching Gadwall I was surprised to find very little as there had been plenty of ducks just over week ago and the Long-tailed Duck was seen from here yesterday.  Despite a good search I was unable to find the Long-tailed Duck and so I continued onto Robin on hide on Lax Hill.  The feeders were completely empty as was the dustbin that contains the food and so I was unable to fill the feeders.  I went to Goldeneye hide but other than hearing a Redshank saw noting of note.  I decided to recover my steps and called at Mallard hide on lagoon one where I found nine Curlews bathing in the shallows and there was a single Little Egret but the Great White Egret had disappeared.


Nine Curlew on lagoon one


Eight Curlew flying off after being disturbed by an aircraft

After some lunch I set off towards Shoveler hide on lagoon three and bumped into Bob as he was returning to the car park.  I Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over as we stood talking, although Bob hadn’t seen too much but said the Red-necked Grebe was still on lagoon three.  When I reached the hide I soon found the juvenile Red-necked Grebe but there was very little else.  I called at crake hide on route to Lapwing hide but other then another Little Egret there was little else.  On reaching Lapwing hide there was a mass of birds between the hide and the green bank but on scanning I found that most were Coot, although there were good numbers of Wigeon and Tufted Duck as well with a few Goldeneye but I didn’t see anything else.  On scanning another flock alongside Brown’s Island I found a single female Scaup amongst the Tufted Ducks.  I had a look on lagoon two from the hide and found a Great White Egret on the far shore, which was then joined by the second after a few minutes.  I continued onto Smew hide but couldn’t see either of the Great White Egrets but counted fourteen Pintail.  After a few minutes one of the Great White Egret appeared and then they both flew towards Lapwing hide but I could then only find one on the lagoon.







Great White Egret

I called at Buzzard hide on lagoon three and found the Red-necked Grebe close enough to get a record short but unfortunately it gradually moved away towards the centre of the lagoon.



Juvenile Red-necked Grebe

As I was walking towards sandpiper hide on lagoon four a Cetti’s Warbler burst into song but as usual there was no sign of it.  There were thirty Shoveler on lagoon four as well as two Shelduck, four Little Egrets and two Yellow-legged Gulls.  I eventually made my way back to the car park and drove to the north arm.

The light was beginning to fade and I couldn’t find the Greenland White-fronted Goose, the Slavonian Grebe and either of the two Black-necked Grebe, although they had all been seen earlier.  One of the two Great White Egrets was on the bund along with nineteen Little Egrets with another three Little Egret in the fishponds.  There were three Barnacle Geese amongst a flock of Greylag Geese on the north shore with a drake Goosander on the water and two females on the shore.  Again I heard a Redshank calling but was unable to locate it although I did find another Yellow-legged Gull amongst the pre-roost gathering.

With the light fading fast I eventually called it a day and headed off home seeing a Buzzard and Green Woodpecker near Tugby.

Sunday 16 November 2014

A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - November 15, 2014

Today I left home in crystal clear conditions but as I approached Kibworth a few miles away there was some mist, which thickened into a fog the closer I got to the Eyebrook Reservoir.  As I dropped down to the reservoir the conditions improved and it wasn’t too bad at the reservoir with reasonable visibility.  I stopped to look for the Little Owl in the old oak and Malcolm pulled up behind me and we eventually found the owl when it moved positions slightly.  There appeared to be far fewer birds at the inlet with no Golden Plover and just a few Lapwings and gulls, although we did find four Dunlin and a male Stonechat and I saw a Sparrowhawk just before turning up the hill to Stoke Dry.

When we reached the north arm at Rutland Water the visibility was very poor and so we decided to go the reserve.  The visibility was a little better although it was quite variable whilst we were looking over lagoon one from the centre.  I managed to count twenty-eight Pintail, with another seventeen on lagoon two, and we heard a Curlew calling but saw nothing else of note except for a single Yellow-legged Gull.  Roger arrived and after a few minutes we decided to go to Shoveler hide on lagoon three.  As we walked through the meadows we saw a Fieldfare, three Song Thrush and eight Redwings, all of which have been quite scare of late.  A search for Siskin near grebe hide proved unsuccessful and we continued to Shoveler hide.  When we entered the hide Norman had found the juvenile Red-necked Grebe, which had been found two days ago and the visibility was quite good as we were able to see right across the lagoon.  There were two Black-tailed Godwits, which eventually flew off over the hide, on one of the islands and we found seven Snipe but there was little else except for a single Little Egret and a Yellow-legged Gull.

As the visibility wasn’t too bad Malcolm decided to go to the north arm whilst Roger, Norman and I went to sandpiper hide on lagoon four.  The lagoon must now be on top water but there were few birds with three Shelduck and two Yellow-legged Gulls being the highlights.

Malcolm then called and said he had seen a couple of Siskin with Goldfinches close to grebe hide and so we decided to go and have a look.  We soon found the party of birds and eventually managed to find the two Siskin.  We called in the centre again before we had lunch and found two drake Goosanders at the back of the lagoon.

After lunch we went to the north arm where we found Malcolm, Norman and Richard.  The two long staying Great White Egrets were in the far corner of the bund along with twenty Little Egrets.  We found a male and two female Goosanders in the fishponds, seven Pintail, another two Little Egrets in the north arm and the Slavonian Grebe wasn’t too far off shore and was providing nice views.  Two Redshanks were observed flying over the water and a Tawny Owl was heard.  Eventually there was just Roger and I left and as we were unable to locate either the Long-tailed Duck or Black-necked Grebes we decided to go back to the centre.


I initially bought some seed before going upstairs to view the lagoon but there was nothing new and with the fog coming down again I decided to call it a day.

Friday 14 November 2014

A day in Leicestershire & Rutland and Cambridgeshire - November 13, 2014

 I was out with Dave and Roger today and we called at Eyebrook Reservoir on route but only stayed a few minutes, seeing nothing of note but we did have a couple of Red Kites close to the reservoir.

At Rutland Water we went straight to the north arm and found the two Great White Egrets close to the bund along with twenty-one Little Egrets and we found another Little Egret close to a group of resting Greylag Geese.  Dave then said he had a White-fronted Goose amongst the Greylags but then wasn’t sure.  Roger and I got on the bird and it was clearly not a Greylag being smaller and slighter in build.  Dave’s initial identification was correct and it was in fact a juvenile White-fronted Goose as there were no bars across the belly.  Its bill appeared more orange than pink, not as deep as the Greylag’s, but clearly orange and there was also some white around the base of the bill, although nothing like the blaze of an adult.  The orange bill suggested that it was in fact a Greenland White-front.  I called Steve to discuss the find and then Andy to tweet the sighting.  Tim then called me after missing my call and came join us when the geese were a little closer on the water and agreed with our identification.  Roger then found the Slavonian Grebe and Long-tailed Duck and a little later the very distant two Black-necked Grebes.  There were five Red-crested Pochard to the right along with twenty-seven Pintail and we heard a Redshank calling but didn’t see it.


Record shot of the Slavonian Grebe

We went to end of the Hambleton Peninsular in the hope of finding the Cattle Egret but were unsuccessful and all we saw were ten Fieldfares going over.

From the Bird Watching Centre we found another thirty-three Pintail on lagoon one and eight on lagoon two.  There was also six Curlew on the freshly cut meadow and a Snipe on the long island.

We called at Lyndon next where we found a large raft of Tufted Duck and Coot but they were not easy to see do to the vegetation.  We eventually found a good observation point and found a single drake Scaup, a drake hybrid Scaup and what was presumably a Tufted Duck x Pochard hybrid.  It more closely resembled a Tufted Duck but the tuft wasn’t quite right and it had a deep chestnut cap.

Our intention was to spend until lunchtime at Rutland Water and then move on to Eldernell and despite the fresh south-east wind we decided to continue with the plan and headed off to Eldernell.

On arrival at Eldernell it was still quite windy and quite dull and the weather didn’t really get any better.  There is work taking place to reinforce the South Bank Barrier and new public footpath access has been arranged below the bank on washes side.  The overall project is planned to take four years but will only take place between the autumn and spring to prevent disturbance to nesting birds.

The new footpath allowed us to walk east but lacks the height gained by completing the same work along the top bank and only allows views of the washes and not the fields to the south, which are often good for wild swans.  As we walked out there was very little in terms of water and consequently few birds but we did have several sighting of Buzzard towards the northern bank.  Dave also picked up four Cranes in flight, which were quite distant at first but they as they flew west they came closer and passed us but were still much closer to the northern bank.  As we watched the Cranes we also picked up a Marsh Harrier, which looked like a male we had seen earlier to the west.  The Cranes eventually came down but dropped out of sight and we didn’t see them again.  When we got back to the car park we looked from the bridge that spans the small river.  Dave picked up a male Hen Harrier that was flying east along the northern bank before it dropped out of sight almost opposite the car park.  We continuing scanning and I then found the male Hen Harrier close to the west of the car park and as we watched a ring-tail also appeared, providing some nice, if a little distant views.  Two female-type Marsh Harriers also came in inducing the ringtail to take to flight again but eventually they all dropped down and we assumed it was the area they were using as a roost.  Roger found a male Stonechat perched on a fence post.  As they light began there was still no sign of the reported Barn and Short-eared Owls and so we called it a day and headed off home.

A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - November 11, 2014

Dave had gone to Rutland Water yesterday and found a Long-tailed Duck in the north arm and so I decided I would head there first.

I saw a Buzzard on route near East Norton and arrived at Rutland Water around 07:30.  Steve and Terry were there and we walked down the road to the end of the spit together.  We stopped and the gate when Terry picked up an adult Peregrine perched in a dead tree to the right of Burley House.  When we reached the end of the spit it there was a fresh south easterly breeze and it felt quite cool.  We scanned the water for the Long-tailed Duck and the Black-necked Grebes but were not having much luck.  I mentioned that the duck was with Goldeneye yesterday and Steve indicated that there was a group of them between us and the near end of Armley Wood.  I scanned the group of Goldeneye and almost immediately found the Long-tailed Duck just slightly behind the Goldeneye but despite further searching we couldn’t find the grebes.  There was at least eighteen Little Egrets with most of them quite close to the bund and there were four males and four female Red-crested Pochard to the right but with little else Terry and Steve departed.  After they had gone I saw a couple of Red Kites over Burley Wood and just before I was about to leave a Great White Egret flew out of the fishponds.

When I arrived at the centre there was a Great White Egret on lagoon one, which had been there at least fifteen minutes and was almost certainly the second bird.  I also counted forty Pintail on the lagoon and there were five Snipe on the long island and six Curlew feeding in the meadow.  Dave had indicated that there had been some Lesser Redpolls on Lax Hill yesterday and so I set off in that direction.


I called at Snipe hide first but there was nothing unusual and so I moved on to harrier hide.  As I lifted the flaps in the hide I noticed and egret amongst the cattle and assumed it would be a Little Egret.  However on lifting the binoculars I saw that it was a Cattle Egret, which was a new arrival.  I called Steve to let him know about the find and then Andy who would tweet the information for local birders.  I also called the centre having taken a few photos in case it decided to depart.  It was about 09:40 when I located and it was apparently still there at 11:30 when it flew off and was then found on private land at 12:45 but the news was not released until after dark.  I also saw c.500 Golden Plover in flight over the lagoons whilst in the hide.




Cattle Egret on the wet meadow

Once I knew that others had seen it I moved onto Gadwall Hide where there was a large raft of duck, which were mainly Wigeon and Tufted Duck but there was also Gadwall, Teal, Mallard and Great Crested Grebe.

I continued onto Lax Hill and went to Robin Hide to view the feeding station, which is where the Lesser Redpoll had been yesterday.  There wasn’t too much food in the feeders but there was a steady coming and going of Blue and Great Tits and also Chaffinch and there was also a couple of Coal Tits, a Marsh Tit and a Nuthatch.

I continued on around Lax Hill before dropping down to the hides on Heron Bay.  There was nothing of note from either Wigeon or heron hides and Kingfisher Hide on lagoon eight produced the same result.  There was very little on lagoon five, which I viewed from the 360° hide and so I walked back to the car park for lunch.


Hare near heron hide


Rook near the 360° hide

Colin arrived as I was having lunch and I joined him in the centre but there was no sign of the Cattle Egret and so he went to harrier hide whilst I went to Lapwing Hide to view a concentration of wildfowl I had seen from Gadwall hide earlier.  There were plenty of Wigeon and Tufted Duck and a few Goldeneye but very little else.  I called at crake hide on the way back towards Shoveler Hide but again there was very little except for a Little Egret.  Whilst in the hide Colin text to say there was a Slavonian Grebe in the north arm and so I walked back to the car park and drove to the north arm to join him and Richard.  Colin had been looking unsuccessfully for the Long-tailed Duck and wasn’t sure where the grebe was now but said Steve had said it was differing off towards Dickinson’s Bay.  Colin departed back to his car for a coffee and I began to scan for the Slavonian Grebe, which I found almost immediately and it wasn’t too far away.  The Great White Egret was still on the bund but even when Colin returned we were unable to locate the Long-tailed Duck.

My final call at Rutland Water was to the Lyndon Reserve as Steve had seen a five or six male Scaup to the east of the centre.  After checking the feeders where there was a single Tree Sparrow and walked along the track to view the bay the Scaup were apparently in.  When I arrived they were some distance away but I did locate a male and female.

As I drove along Lyndon Road a party of fifteen Fieldfares flew over, which was my largest flock of the autumn.  Although I had seen a couple of Fieldfare and several Redwings early they still remain quite scarce in the counties.

I called at Eyebrook Reservoir briefly on route home but other than a Pink-footed Goose, six Golden Plovers, a couple of Dunlin and a Red Kite and Buzzard there was little else and I called it a day.

A day in Lincolnshire and Rutland - November 8, 2014

Dave, Roger and I set of for Frampton Marsh today in the hope of seeing yesterday’s Lapland and Snow Buntings.  The journey over was pretty uneventful seeing three Buzzards and a single Red Kite.  We arrived in an empty car park just after nine o’clock and found there was a cool easterly wind but at least it was dry.  We set off down the surfaced road towards the sea wall and found the Glossy Ibis quite close to the road, which allowed me to get several nice photos despite the dull conditions.






Glossy Ibis

We continued on to the sea wall seeing a few Little Egrets and masses of wildfowl on the marshes, which appeared to be mainly Brent Geese and Wigeon but there was also Mallard and Shoveler in small numbers.  On reaching the sea wall we walked towards the East Hide where the buntings had been reported yesterday.  There were a couple of Curlew and several Redshanks on the salt marsh and we saw a distant Marsh Harrier.

There were three other birders in the hide when we arrived and despite an extensive search there was no sign of the buntings.  Brent Geese were coming and going all the time and the Wigeon must have totalled several thousands and were clearly the most numerous duck by some distance.  There were at least seven Pintail and twenty plus Shelduck as well as small numbers of Teal and Shoveler and two Gadwall.  A large party of Black-tailed Godwits flew in and I then found five Dunlin and six Curlew flew over.  Roger also picked up a distant Marsh Harrier, which was almost certainly different to the one we had seen earlier.  We eventually called it a day and set off back to the centre just as another group of birders arrived.  One of them told us where the buntings had been yesterday but there was still no sign and so we continued on our way.


Brent Goose


Brent Goose


Pair of Gadwall


Drake Wigeon


Feeding Wigeon near the hide


More Wigeon joining the feeding flock

We called at the 360° hide on the way back and there were seventy-three Black-tailed Godwits and a Sparrowhawk flew low over the lagoon causing some disturbance.  We then noticed the birders we had seen as we left the East Hide were all on top of the sea wall and appeared to be interested in something.  When they continued to remain there we decided to go back and on meeting some of them returned they had in fact found the Lapland Bunting feeding with several Meadow Pipits in the corner of the salt marsh.  However the messages were mixed and one indicated that it had flown off.  When we arrived there were three other birders looking for it and as we walked towards the corner we flushed several Meadow Pipits that then dropped down to feed in the corner.  We scanned the corner seeing five Meadow Pipits but no bunting, when one of the other birders found it slightly higher on the bank.  We then had some reasonable scope views in what was now a quite strong wind.  As we walked back to the centre we had a light shower and after some lunch decided to go back and call at Rutland Water.

As we returned to Rutland Water it was clear that there had been some quite heavy rain but on arrival it was dry.  We went into the centre where we found eight Pintail, forty-eight Golden Plovers, a Dunlin, six Snipe and a Curlew.  With reports of the two Great White Egrets in the north arm and with not too much daylight remaining we decided to go.  We soon found one of the Great White Egrets feeding at the edge of the bund.  We also counted nineteen Little Egrets but were unable to find the second Great White Egret.  Dave then picked up a couple of Red-crested Pochard and we eventually found six males and five females.  Dave then had a purple patch when he found an adult Yellow-legged Gull and an adult Caspian Gull bathing on the water but they all flew before Roger got on them and we could not relocate them when the gulls settled again.  As we continued to scan for the Black-necked Grebes Dave found a Great Northern Diver, which eventually came quite close when we were able to determine that it was a juvenile.  Most Great Northern Divers usually arrive later in the month and so this was an unexpected and good find.

Our day out had proved quite productive despite the strong wind and we had also been lucky having little rain.

A day in West Norfolk - November 6, 2014

Dave, Roger and I set off for a day’s birding in West Norfolk and our first port of call was to be Holkham and despite some heavy traffic we arrived at just after nine o’clock having seen a Buzzard close to Tugby, Leicestershire and three Red Kites from the A47 in Rutland on route.  There was hardly a breath of wind when we arrived and the sun was shining brightly.  As we got ready set off to the Washington Hide and the beach, ten Golden Plover and a Snipe flew over and five Black-tailed Godwits dropped in.  We had seen several skeins of Pink-footed Geese as we approached the coast and we could hear birds calling on the marsh but few were visible.


As we set off down the track to towards the hide Dave and I heard a Kingfisher call from a dyke but it had disappeared before looked along the dyke.  There were parties of Starling passing over and we did see at least one small party of thrushes but were unable to identify them.  A more open area on the path contained a party of passerines, which were mainly Long-tailed Tits but also containing Blue and Great Tits and a single Goldcrest and Coal Tit.  As we approached the beach we could see the tide was well out and it was quite a walk to reach the shore.  We scanned the sea for the Surf Scoter, finding plenty of Common Scoter and a few Velvets but there was no sign of the Surf.  There were still a few Gannets around following yesterday’s northerly wind and there must have been at least ten Red-throated Divers.  Roger who was now scanning further west located a couple of Guillemots and then he thought he caught sight of the Surf Scoter but couldn’t relocate it.  We walked further along the beach to get a better view and we soon found the Surf Scoter amongst more Common and several Velvet Scoters.  There were quite a few Sanderling on the shore and a single Knot but other than a single Oystercatcher there were no other waders, although distant flocks of waders in flight over the sea were a frequent sight.  As we continued to scan I picked up what I thought might be a Little Auk and with both Dave and Roger getting on it as well it decided to fly in towards the shore and landed just a few meters off shore where we were able to get decent scope views.  We eventually called it a day and walked back to the car with the intention of going to Burnham Overy Staithe for lunch and hopeful a Rough-legged Buzzard.

When we arrived at the parking area at Burnham Overy Staithe it was a little difficult to park but as we got out of the car several birders departed and we assumed the Rough-legged had just been seen.  There were still four birders looking over the marsh and they indicated it was still present but viewing where they were looking just produced a Buzzard.  One of the four said they thought they had it flying east and so I started to scan back from the pines and picked up a Buzzard in front of the biggest dune.  White base to the tail and dark band were clearly visible as were the dark carpel patches.  It went above the skyline when the characters were less distinctive when Dave and Roger got onto it.  It then proceeded to drift off to the east before we lost it some distance away.  Whilst scanning the area I found a single Barnacle Goose amongst the masses of Pink-footed Geese and there were also two Egyptian Geese.  We also had a single Marsh Harrier and two more Buzzards.  Another buzzard was the pickup straight out from the watch point, which was clearly a Rough-legged and considering where the first had gone, it was probably a second bird.  Whilst having our lunch Roger spotted five Grey Partridge and there was also a single Red-legged Partridge in the same field.

Having had good views of the Rough-legged we moved off to Thornham in the hope of seeing some reported Twite.  Initially there appeared to be very little other then three Little Egrets but we then saw several birders on the sea wall in the direction of Holme.  As Roger and I walked along the top of the bank we had a party of Linnets flying over the salt marsh and I was pretty sure the flock contained Twite.  They landed on a couple of occasions but almost immediately took to flight again but eventually some dropped quite close to Roger and fortunately they were all Twite and we counted at least twenty.  It was now feeling a little cold but we decided to go to Titchwell before heading off home.

When we arrived at Titchwell and started to walk down the west bank the wind appeared to have dropped but it was just wishful thinking as it picked up again as we became more exposed.  As we continued down the track we had a couple of female/immature Marsh Harriers and there was a single Pintail on Thornham Pool.  There were plenty of Golden Plovers on the Fresh Marsh, where we also found more Pintail and several Ruff and Black-tailed Godwits and a few Dunlin but little else of note.  There were more Black-tailed Godwits and a single Bar-tailed Godwit on Volunteer Marsh as well as quite a few Redshanks and a single Grey Plover.  There were more Black-tailed Godwits and Redshank on the Tidal Marsh as well as another Grey Plover.

On reaching the beach Dave quickly picked up a couple of Kittiwakes following a trawler and we eventually counted eleven.  The sea was otherwise pretty quiet, although there was plenty of Common Scoter flying west some way off shore and I picked up four Red-breasted Mergansers heading east.  Two Sandwich Terns were a pleasant surprise but they didn’t hang around too long.  There was a good selection of waders on the beach that included Oystercatchers, Grey Plovers, a Knot, Sanderling, Bar-tailed Godwits, Curlew, Redshanks and Turnstones.  I counted twenty-seven Ruff as we walked back to the centre and there were also three Avocets.  A male Marsh Harrier was observed over the reedbed and a Spotted Redshank flew over us calling.  A search Brambling back at the centre proved fruitless but we did see another Marsh Harrier as we were turning onto the road to head home.

It had been an excellent day’s birding with ninety-four species recorded, including three year ticks.

Wednesday 5 November 2014

A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - November 4, 2014

I didn’t leave too early today due to fairly thick fog, however when I departed in still quite foggy conditions within about five miles the fog disappeared and it became a beautiful sunny morning.  On route I had seen a single Buzzard just after turning onto the B664 to Uppingham towards Eyebrook Reservoir.

As I approached Eyebrook Reservoir the fog thickened again and it was still quite misty when I reached the track to the fishing lodge.  There was very little visible just a few Blackbird and Chaffinch.  I moved around to the first coral where I counted twenty-one Cormorants but there was nothing else of note.  When I reached the second coral the fog had almost gone but I realised that I had left my tripod at home, which was not good news.  I did find three Dunlin and counted 640 Golden Plovers but other than a single Snipe there was little of note.

I called Steve to find that there was no sign of yesterday’s Snow Bunting and it would appear that it had gone.  I went to the Egleton Reserve and asked in the centre if I could borrow a tripod and Tim Mackrill thankfully sorted me out.  Now having a tripod and went to the north arm where I met Nigel.  Between us we found two Barnacle Geese, a Shelduck, six male and three female Red-crested Pochard, seventeen Little Egrets, a Black-necked Grebe and a single Redshank.  A Green Sandpiper was also found in the fishponds and two Red Kites and a Buzzard were observed over Burley Wood and a male and female Kestrel were hunting in the north arm.

I eventually went back to the Egleton Reserve and took an early lunch before going to the centre with Mike to view lagoon one.  There was at least four Snipe, nine Curlew and a Redshank feeding in the shallows and there was a female Stonechat right in front of the centre.  The Great White Egret was still present and there were four Little Egrets also on the lagoon.

Mike and I then set off to Shoveler hide on lagoon three and were joined by Pat.  Mike and Pat had got a little ahead of me as I had received a phone call from Dave and they flushed a Sparrowhawk, which then flew across the meadow before disappearing on the far side.  On reaching Shoveler hide other then two male and two female Red-crested Pochard and couple of drake Pintail there was little else, although a Red Kite and three Buzzards were circling overhead.

Pat and Mike departed but I continued on to Lapwing hide to view South Arm Three.  Again there were fewer birds, particularly Tufted Ducks, and there was no sign of the Ring-necked Duck.  The island that has failed to appear this year was now close enough to the surface to allow Cormorants to rest and it may still appear but too late for wader migration.  I scanned lagoon two from the hide and found a single Black-tailed Godwit but there was little else.


A visit to Dunlin hide produced very few gulls as the water level had risen further and consequently there were also fewer Lapwings, although there was at least fifty Golden Plover.


Wren from Dunlin hide


Wren from Dunlin hide

With still some daylight remaining I decided to go back home via Eyebrook Reservoir and managed to find another Dunlin, two Ringed Plover and fourteen Snipe.