I was out early today and I
went straight to Rutland Water and was in Dunlin hide on lagoon four by about
06:20 in the hope that the Bar-tailed Godwits and Curlew Sandpiper might still
be present. However all I found of note
was an Avocet, six Little Ringed Plovers, a couple of Ringed Plovers, five
Dunlin and two Redshank. As I was
walking the short distance to sandpiper hide to get a different view I saw
three female Blackcaps and a Willow Warbler but found nothing else from
sandpiper, except for a few Common Terns on island ten spit. A Cetti’s Warbler was heard on a couple of
occasions as I walked to Shoveler hide on lagoon three but there was still no
sign of yesterday’s Garganey and just few Common Terns feeding over the water.
With very little at the
northern end I decided to go and check out the southern lagoons. I heard and saw a quite a few warblers on
route that included Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler; Blackcap; Garden Warbler;
Lesser Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler.
When I reached lagoons seven I saw a Red Kite just to the west of the
lagoon, which could have been the one I saw earlier just after I had passed
over Manton Bridge. As I scanned the
lagoon I found several waders the best being a nice Wood Sandpiper but there were
also two Little Ringed Plovers, a Ringed Plover, a Greenshank and a
Redshank. From Shelduck hide on lagoon
six there were two Oystercatchers that appeared to be sitting on nests and at
least four Redshanks.
Willow Warbler
Willow Warbler
I went to Pintail hide on
lagoon six next, seeing two Lesser Whitethroats on route. All I found from Pintail hide was a couple of
Oystercatchers with one sitting and there were two more visible from tern hide
with one sitting just in front of the hide.
Oystercatcher on lagoon six
After leaving the hide I saw a
Whitethroat in the recently cleared area and on continuing to Fieldfare hide I
heard another and several Sedge Warbler and a Garden Warbler but there was very
little from Fieldfare hide, just a Shelduck and a Buzzard.
Harrier hide produced very
little with just two Shelduck on the Wet Meadow and very little on Lagoon
one. From Snipe hide on the Wet Meadow
there was just two more Shelduck and very little else.
As I started to make my way
back to the centre Malcolm caught me up and we went back to sandpiper hide on
lagoon four but there was nothing new and even the Avocet had disappeared. It was also much the same from Shoveler hide
on lagoon three, although there were a few more Common Terns and a Reed Warbler
was heard. As we walked to Bittern hide
we saw a Red Kite to the north and two Dunlin flew over lagoon three bund and
appeared to drop on to lagoon four. In
Bittern hide we could hear at least one Reed Warbler singing and we had a
couple of sightings of Osprey and seven more Dunlin flew over and headed
towards lagoon four. We decided to check
out lagoon four again from plover hide and found eleven Dunlin and clearly
those we had seen in flight were new arrivals.
We eventually decided to go back to the car park for lunch with the
intention of coming back this afternoon hoping for further arrivals.
Little Ringed Plover displaying over lagoon four
Just as we were getting ready
to go back Erik arrived and we went into the centre to check out lagoon
one. It was pretty quiet but just after
we were joined by Chris Park, Erik found a rather nice summer plumaged
Black-tailed Godwit on the meadow.
With little else we all set
off towards lagoon four but as we approached the area Graham told us he had
been having some nice views of two Hobbies over lagoon three and so we headed
for Shoveler. We soon found the two
Hobbies hawking over the woods and they put on an excellent show and we also
saw a Sparrowhawk. Satisfied with the
views of the Hobbies we went to sandpiper on lagoon four and as we approached
the hide three birders leaving the hide said they had seen a Sanderling and
Curlew Sandpiper. There were clearly
more Dunlin present and we eventually managed to find thirty but we couldn’t
find either the Sanderling or Curlew Sandpiper.
There was a wader amongst a group of Dunlin that was certainly slightly
larger and longer billed, which was still clearly moulting but eventually we
all agreed it was just another Dunlin.
Chris then heard a Whimbrel call and we watched as five dropped in but
landed behind one of the islands and out of sight. They did eventually appear to the right of the
island just as Tim arrived with a group of new trust members. The hide was now rather packed and as another
group was waiting to get in we moved on to Dunlin hide. As we scanned the lagoon the Whimbrel suddenly
called and took to flight and headed off to the west and we watched as they
disappeared over Oakham. As Chris turned
and looked out onto the lagoon there were five more Whimbrel a little closer,
which were certainly another group of five, as the other couldn’t have got back
from Oakham so quickly. Whilst in the
hide we also saw a Little Egret, two Oystercatchers, six Little Ringed Plovers,
eight Ringed Plovers, a Curlew, two Common Sandpiper, a couple of Redshank and
a Yellow Wagtail. An Osprey passed low
over the lagoon and there was others seen over Burley as well as Red Kites,
Buzzards and a Raven.
Whimbrel
Osprey over lagoon four
Osprey over lagoon four
Osprey over lagoon four
Osprey over lagoon four
Osprey over lagoon four
Osprey over lagoon four
Malcolm and I decided to call
it a day but to call briefly at Eyebrook Reservoir before heading off
home. On arrival at Eyebrook Reservoir
we parked overlooking the inlet where there were another sixteen Dunlin and
clearly there had been a significant movement today. There were also three Little Ringed Plovers
and four Snipe at the inlet and plenty of hirundines over the water that were
mainly Swallow but with a reasonable number of Sand Martins as well and a
Yellow Wagtail was observed on the shore.
As I left the reservoir there was a single Little Owl sitting in the old
oak but I saw nothing else of note on route home.
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