A day in Leicestershire & Rutland April 2, 2016

The weather forecast yesterday was predicting a nice day today but when we Roger and I set off for Eyebrook Reservoir it was overcast with some light rain.  We had a Red Kite as we were approaching Cranoe but there was no sign of any Little Owls along the approach road to the reservoir.

Mike was on the bridge when we arrived at Eyebrook Reservoir and he had seen a Kingfisher and heard and observed a Willow Warbler.  A Red Kite appeared towards the Leicestershire bank and there was a Little Egret on the stream.  As we continued to scan we found several Snipe and a Chiffchaff gave some nice views but the Kingfisher and Willow Warbler failed to reappear.

We moved further along the reservoir to view the inlet but the water was now quite high and there were few areas for any waders and other than a few more Snipe we found nothing.  There was a single Shelduck on the water and three Swallows appeared but with little else we moved off to the North Arm at Rutland Water.

After parking along the unnamed road we scanned the fishponds and found a single Redshank but it then began to rain quite heavy and so we retreated back to the cars.  Whilst we were waiting for the rain to ease I noticed that there was a large flock of hirundines over the water but was unable to see them clearly enough to identify them but suspected that most would be Sand Martins.

The rain eventually eased and we walked down to the end of the spit but there were now fewer hirundines but amongst the Sand Martins I did find two Swallows and a House Martin.  There were also three Redshanks along the south shore but we couldn't find the male Garganey that had been present the previous two days.  Roger then found the Red-necked Grebe and Mike picked up a Great Northern Diver but we couldn’t find Slavonian Grebe.  I called Tim to establish where the Garganey had been seen and he informed me that it had been flushed yesterday afternoon and had gone onto Lagoon Three and he also said that a Common Tern had been seen in the North Arm earlier today.  Whilst I was talking to him I picked an Osprey towards Barnsdale but we couldn’t find the Common Tern but Roger found an Oystercatcher on the north shore and two more flew over.

We eventually moved off to the Egleton Reserve to find the car park pretty full and when we reached the viewing area it was also crowded and so we went downstairs to view the lagoon.  I soon picked out the Long-billed Dowitcher, which appears to have made Lagoon One its new home, but as the viewing wasn’t great we moved off to Snipe Hide on the Wet Meadow.

There were a couple of Chiffchaffs singing as we walked through the wooded area behind Lagoon One and we saw one of them as we approached the far end.  We heard another Chiffchaff just after coming out of the wooded area and then saw another as we were approaching Snipe Hide.

From Snipe Hide we found a pair of Pintail on the flash and there was another male visible on Lagoon One.  Other than two Shelduck and a few Shoveler and a brief view of a male Sparrowhawk there was little else and so we moved on to the 360° Hide on Lagoon Five.  There was a single Oystercatcher and three Redshanks on Lagoon Five and quite a few Sand Martins were entering the pipes in the man-made structure.

As we came out of the hide we could see two Shelduck and two more Oystercatchers on Lagoon Eight and we had another Chiffchaff as we walked down the path to check out Lagoon seven were we found another Oystercatcher and two Ringed Plovers.  There were also six Shelduck and we had yet another Chiffchaff.

We made our way back to the car park for lunch, seeing an Osprey overhead as we approached the car par.  Brian, Roger and Rosie were in the car park and had seen a couple of Wheatears at the Luffenham Airfield but little else.  Ken had also arrived and after we had finished our lunch we went to the centre, which was still rather crowded and so we left Ken looking for the dowitcher and headed off towards the northern lagoons.

It was pretty obvious that there were more birders on the reserve today and so we decided to go to Dunlin Hide to view Lagoon Four as we felt it was more likely to have space.  I called Ken to let him know where we were and started to look for the four Wheatears that were on the western bank and soon fund all four together but by the time Ken arrived he could only locate two.  A Little Ringed Plover had been seen earlier but on scanning the islands I could just find one Ringed Plover but Roger noticed a second bird behind it, which we assumed would be another Ringed Plover.  Rick then found the Little Ringed Plover on the same island and only one Ringed Plover could now been seen, so it perhaps was the Little Ringed Plover alongside the Ringed Plover.  There was a Dunlin feeding along the edge of an island and at least four Redshanks, which were quite mobile moving between islands.  There were also several Buzzards soaring towards the north and a single Sparrowhawk was also observed.

There was an Osprey on the nest of the lagoon and apparently there had been two earlier and hopefully these are the two birds that were holding territory last year and might breed this year but only time will tell.

I then received a text from Roger Brett saying the drake Garganey was showing on Lagoon Three and so we set off for Shoveler Hide.  When we arrived it was still showing but was some distance away, swimming alongside the reedbed.  Brian picked up our third Sparrowhawk of the day but other than hearing a distant Cetti’s Warbler it was pretty quiet and when Rick and Graham arrived the Garganey had unfortunately disappeared.  Brian, Roger and Rosie went to Dunlin Hide to look for the Wheatears and Little Ringed Plover as they had missed them earlier, whilst Ken, Roger and I headed back to the Bird Watching Centre.

When we arrived in the centre Roger looked in the book and found that the Slavonian Grebe had been reported in the North Arm and so we went to the fisherman’s car park to look for it.  It didn’t take us too long to find the Red-necked Grebe and Great Northern Diver but we couldn’t find the Slavonian Grebe.  Another Chiffchaff gave some nice views and a Blackcap was heard singing but not seen.  As I was scanning I found an Osprey splashing around in the middle of the reservoir and it had obviously plunged in for a fish but when it took off it wasn’t carrying anything.  As it moved off west along the North Arm I picked up another as the first passed under it, with the higher bird showing just a brief interest as the first passed below.

Another birder in the car park said they had seen the Slavonian Grebe from the end of the unnamed road, although rather worryingly he said it was in winter plumage, whilst the recent bird was well into summer plumage.  We did go and have a look from the end of the road but again failed to find it but we did have much better views of the male Garganey, which had returned to the North Arm and was feeding amongst the juncus.  It wasn’t particularly easy to see as it moved through the area but it suddenly flew out onto the water to give excellent views.

We drove via Eyebrook Reservoir stopping briefly to observed the old oak and fund one of the Little Owls showing nicely and we also saw a couple of Buzzards after passing through Kibworth.