A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - March 31, 2015

There had been heavy overnight rain and the wind was forecast to be gusting up to fifty miles an hour during the day and so when I set off I wasn’t expecting too much.  Migration is understandably very slow at present and the weather over the last few days was likely to keep so.  I arrived at Eyebrook Reservoir having seen very little on route with a Jay near Blaston being the best.  I parked overlooking the inlet but it was difficult keeping the scope steady, although I did find a single Little Ringed Plover and Ringed Plover on the Leicestershire shore and there was a Red Kite as I approached the reservoir.  I didn’t stay too long and headed off to the Lyndon Reserve at Rutland Water.

There had been three Ospreys in Manton Bay yesterday afternoon but there weren’t any this morning, although there are now seven birds back.  I walked down to the new Wader Scrape Hide seeing four Chiffchaffs and hearing another two before I reached the hide, indicating that this species has arrived in reasonable numbers.

Chiffchaff

When I reached the hide there was still no sign of an Osprey but a Red Kite obligingly flew from Heron Bay towards the hide and I was able to take a few photos before it drifted off to the west.  I returned to the centre and continued on to Teal hide and found that the waves on the water were hitting the underside of the hide and forcing water up through the floor.  The only bird I saw on the water was a single Goldeneye quite close to the hide and so I went back to the centre.  There were a few Tree Sparrows on the feeders and a single Yellowhammer, which is not a common bird at Rutland Water, was feeding on the ground.

Red Kite

Greylag Goose from Wader Scrape Hide

Mallard from Wader Scrape Hide

Pair of Kestrels from the Lyndon Centre

With still no sign of an Osprey I went to the Egleton reserve and walked towards Snipe hide on the Wet Meadow.  I called at Mallard on lagoon one where I found three Oystercatchers, a Black-tailed Godwit and a Curlew before continuing to Snipe hide.  There were twenty-six Shelduck on the Wet Meadow, which appears to be there preferred location at present.  There were also three Pintail and another two Curlew and I could see another three Pintail on lagoon one and saw six Dunlin in flight.  A quick visit to the 360° hide on lagoon five produced a couple of Redshank.

Little Grebe from Mallard hide

After some lunch and a heavy shower I set off to Shoveler hide on lagoon three, hearing another couple of Chiffchaff.  There was two Oystercatcher and a Curlew just to the left of the hide but very little else but I remained in the hide quite some time sheltering from the next downpour that lasted over half-an-hour.  When the rain ceased I moved on to Dunlin hide on lagoon four were I found four Pintail, an Oystercatcher, three Ringed Plovers, six Dunlin, two Redshank and a Little Egret.  I assumed that the Dunlin were the same as those I had seen earlier on lagoon one.  After another downpour I made my way back to the car park and went back to Eyebrook Reservoir to check out the pre-roost gathering of gulls.

There were very gulls present at Eyebrook Reservoir but I did see a couple of Pintail and a Little Egret and with the gull numbers not building and further showers threatening I felt it best to call it a day and headed off home.