David, Roger and I set off for
Frampton Marsh a little later than usual today and we called at Ketton on route
hoping for either a Peregrine or Raven but failed see to either, although a
single Buzzard obliged.
We arrived at Frampton Marsh
just before 10:00 and scanned the wet meadows to the west of the centre where
we found a Little Egret, good numbers of Ruff and a couple of nice summer
plumaged Black-tailed Godwits. After
checking the board in the centre we set off to Reedbed Hide as a couple of
Mediterranean Gulls were showing. As we
turned off the main track and headed towards the hide we scanned the first
lagoon to the east where there was a lot more than normal. The high water level made it more attractive
to ducks and there was a good number of Shoveler as well as Tufted Duck and we
did find a single Ruff. David had gone
on ahead and when I joined him he had already located the Mediterranean Gulls,
indicating that there were actually three.
I soon found the gulls and there were two adult summer and a
second-summer bird but the two adults did not seem too happy about the
second-summer and it and one of the adults were observed in flight. The adult joined the other adult but the
second-summer settled a short distance from them. We went into the hide to hopefully get a
better view, which we did but we couldn’t find the second-summer and presumably
it had moved off. The two adults then
spent time preening whilst we were watching them and what striking birds they
are in their summer plumage.
Adult summer Mediterranean Gulls
There were far more birds on
this particular scrape with a couple of Oystercatchers, good numbers of
Avocets, a couple of Dunlin, a few Ruff, over 200 Black-tailed Godwits and
several Redshanks. There was also a
number of Shelduck and Wigeon, a few Gadwall and Shoveler and a single Pintail.
We eventually continued
turning left at the end of the track hoping to see a reported Corn
Bunting. As we walked along the path
David heard one singing but Roger and I couldn’t hear it. He kept saying that it was singing quite a
bit but that it appeared quite distant and Roger and I were still
struggling. I suddenly heard it sing
about three times but then it went quiet again and I didn’t hear it again and
Roger never managed to hear it. Despite
scanning the area for a good fifteen minutes we were unable to locate the bird
and eventually continued on and went back to the centre.
On reaching the centre we
informed the staff about the third Mediterranean Gull and it appeared that it
hadn’t been reported previously. With
lunchtime approaching I agreed to take the car to the car park close to the
salt marsh viewpoint, whilst David and Roger walked along the road. It wasn’t too long before they both arrived
and another birder informed us that there had been a female Merlin perched on a
fence in the wet meadows but had disappeared.
With no sign of the Merlin or reported Spotted Redshank we went back to
the car for lunch. Whilst we were having
lunch David picked up a female Marsh Harrier at the back of the meadows and
another birder pulled up to tell us the Merlin was back. We soon picked the bird up, perched on the
fence close to a gate, but it soon took to flight and went in pursuit of a
possibly Snipe but after quite a lengthy chase it gave up and returned to the
same perch. A further scan of the marsh
to the east produced the Spotted Redshank and as we walked to the viewpoint we
had twenty-five Golden Plovers in flight.
We stayed at the viewpoint
quite some time seeing a Red Kite, at least two Marsh Harriers and eventually a
ring-tailed Hen Harrier. David picked up
the ring-tailed coming in from the east and although I got on it very quickly,
Roger struggled, and I tried to get him on by letting him view through my scope
but then David said it had gone down. We
set our scopes up the area but it was quite some time before it took to flight
again and headed off towards the west. I
saw it rise and I followed it quite some distance before I lost it and although
it had flown quite some distance it was hugging the ground and Roger hadn’t
picked it up. Just after I lost it Roger
said I think I have it perched on a post, which thankfully he had. The Merlin was still perched near the gate as
we walked back to the car and after calling in the centre we set off for
Eyebrook Reservoir.
A Buzzard just before Spalding
was the only bird of note before we arrived back at Eyebrook Reservoir. We checked the feeders at the Stole Dry car
park but there just a few Blue and Great Tits, a Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock, a
couple of Chaffinch and three Goldfinch.
We parked on the Rutland bank facing the inlet where there was a Little
Ringed Plover and five Snipe and on the water there were eight Shelduck and a
Pintail, amongst the more numerous Teal.
Two Little Egrets where observed and a Sand Martin was observed as it
took a drink but then promptly disappeared.
There was very little wind but we did see a Red Kite to the North West
and we located three Buzzards perched on the Leicestershire side and a Little
Owl was heard. Colin and Chris arrived
just as we were leaving and after a quick chat about Colin’s Booted Eagle
sighting on Norfolk we heard off home.
A Barn Owl was sat at the
entrance to the old Little Owl site near Slawston and we had three Buzzards
close to Cranoe travelling home.
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