Rod's Birding: A day in Leicestershire & Rutland

On route to Eyebrook Reservoir I saw a couple of Buzzards perched in the dead tree as I approached Cranoe. On arriving at Eyebrook Reservoir there was still circa fifty Fieldfares in the first field but there was no sign of the Little Owls. There was a Ringed Plover, sixteen Dunlin and four Snipe at the inlet and four Shelduck on the water but otherwise it was pretty quiet.

On reaching Rutland Water I headed for the Old Hall and whist parking I heard a Goldcrest singing that then provided a nice photo opportunity.

Goldcrest

I walked east through Hambleton Wood to view the south arm in the hope of finding the Great Northern Diver. There was very little in evidence as I walked through the wood, although I did see Muntjac and it looked as though there would be a good showing of Bluebells in the next few weeks. When I reached the far side of the wood there was a conveniently situated bench and I was able to scan the south arm in some comfort. The light was excellent to the west but it was impossible to view the whole area to the east due to the bright sunshine reflecting on the water. I spent a good forty-five minutes scanning the water but there was no sign of the diver and all I had seen of note was a pair of Oystercatcher and I eventually called it a day and headed back. Again the woodland failed to produce anything of note, which was perhaps a little surprising considering the beautiful morning.

Egyptian Goose near the Old Hall

Once back at the car I drove the short distance to the fisherman’s car park on the peninsula to search for the Black-necked Grebes. It was whilst searching for the grebes that Steve called to say that he and Terry had found a Great Northern Diver in the south arm. I gave up on the grebes as Steve and Terry had failed to find them earlier and drove to the Lyndon Reserve to hopefully find the Great Northern Diver. On arrival I walked east along the cycle track to just beyond Gibbets Gorse where I had an excellent view of the south arm, particularly the area where the diver had been seen by Steve and Terry, which was between Hambleton Wood and Berrybut Spinney. As I scanned the area I found a drake Scaup amongst a party of Tufted Ducks but the diver was not where I thought it should be. I started to scan a little further and found it resting on the surface close to Himman’s Spinney, which was considerably closer to where I had been early this morning. If it had been there early this morning I would certainly have seen it and I can only assume that it was most likely in the sunlit area that was impossible to view. On scanning for the Scaup again I found a second male with birds being alongside one another. I had seen a Green Woodpecker as I walked out but other than a couple of Goldcrest saw very little as I returned.

It was now approaching midday and so I decided to go to Egleton and have my lunch before heading off to the southern section of the reserve. I went into the centre to check the book but nothing had been reported but Mike Chester informed me that there were nine Bewick’s Swans on lagoon four. Bewick’s are now quite a rare bird in the counties and seeing nine together would be excellent. I asked Mike if he was sure that they were Bewick’s and not Whoopers, which would have been more likely. He said that he was pretty sure that they were Bewick’s but didn’t seem totally convinced. Bewick’s or Whoopers would be good and so I set off for lagoon four. When I arrived in sandpiper hide I could see the birds resting on one of the islands but they all had their heads down and the only swan I could identify was a Mute at the back of the flock. Eventually one or two began to raise their heads and I could see that they were Whooper Swans and eventually realised that there were ten, nine adults and a single juvenile. I spent quite some time in the hide seeing ten Shelduck, seventeen Pintail, a drake and two red-headed Smew, two Little Egrets, two Oystercatchers, two Ringed Plovers, two Dunlin and two Redshanks. Scanning Burley Wood I found two Red Kites, at least five Buzzards and a Peregrine.

I walked the short distance to Bittern hide where I heard a Water Rail on several occasions but it refused to so its self. A Snipe was observed roosting near a Mallard and two more flew over, a Buzzard provided some nice views and seven Golden Plovers and two Curlews flew over.

Great Crested Grebes displaying on lagoon three

Buzzard over lagoon three

Long-tailed Tit from Bittern hide

With northern end of the reserve covered I decided to go to the southern end and walked back to the centre before continuing on to Shelduck hide on lagoon six. I scanned lagoon seven from the ramp to Shelduck hide but could only find a single Redshank. On lagoon five I found another Redshank and there was a single Shelduck and two Ringed Plovers flew over. I went back via tern hide on lagoon six where there two more Shelduck and an Oystercatcher. My next stop was Snipe hide on the Wet Meadow where there seventeen Shelduck and four Pintail and a Sparrowhawk flew over having disturbed all the birds on lagoon one. Whilst the birds were flying over lagoon one I counted eight Dunlin amongst the Lapwing.