David, Roger and I set off for
Paxton Pits in Cambridgeshire to hopefully see a Great Reed Warbler. We left reasonably early and managed to avoid
the rush hour traffic but other than a Buzzard, between Thrapston and the A1
junction, we nothing of note.
When we arrived in the car
park and whilst getting our gear on we saw a distant Red Kite and a Great
Spotted Woodpecker flew over twice. Another
birder then informed us that the Great Reed Warbler was showing very well this
morning and we set off with high expectations.
As we walked along the path towards Washout Pit there was plenty of song
and we heard Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Garden Warbler and
Nightingale before we reached the pit.
We also saw three more birders returning who also said that the Great
Reed Warbler was showing very well and was being chased around by several Reed
Warblers.
When we reached the site we
weren’t 100% sure we were in the right area but the view point we found did
seem to match what the three birders described.
After checking nearby for other viewpoints we settled down to view the
reedbed on the far side of Washout Pit.
We saw quite a few Reed Warblers but there was no sign of the Great Reed
Warbler and we could only hear Reed Warblers singing. Whilst we were watching the area we saw a
Blackcap and Garden Warbler and both Cetti’s Warbler and Nightingale were heard
nearby but both remained elusive.
Several other birders joined
us but there was still no sign of the Great Reed Warbler and David wondered off
to view from another area. Whilst he was
away I picked up a bird sitting at the front and about halfway up the reeds but
on trying to find it in the scope I didn’t see it and assumed it had gone out
of view. However as I scanned again with
the bins I found it was still there and this time using the scope I soon found
it. It is not always easy judging size
of a single bird but it appeared larger and had rather a prominent bill and although
it was facing me I could see that the tail looked rather full and long and was
pretty sure it was the Great Reed Warbler.
I altered the other birders present and got an immediate response from
one that it was just a Reed Warbler, whilst the others were still trying to get
on it. I was still pretty sure that it
wasn’t a Reed Warbler when it turned and gave a back view and as it did so a
Reed Warbler appeared next to it and any uncertainty was immediately ruled out
as the bird in question was much larger.
David had returned and had a quick look through my scope to ensure he
saw it but just afterwards it just dropped out of sight and despite a further
wait it didn’t reappear and we returned to the car.
We had heard four Nightingales
and two Cuckoos during our visit but didn’t see any of them and left for
Rutland Water.
On arrival at Rutland Water we
went to the unnamed road to view the North Arm but it was very quiet. There was a pair of Shelduck with ten tiny young
and a Mallard with a more developed brood of five. There were also another five Shelduck, three
Oystercatchers and two Common Terns and over Burley Wood we had several
Buzzards and a Red Kite.
After some lunch in the
Egleton car park we went to the Bird Watching centre to view Lagoon One but
like the North Arm it was very quiet and we saw just four Shelduck, a Pochard,
an Osprey and four Common Terns before we moved to Shoveler Hide on Lagoon
Three.
Just after setting off we saw
a pair of Blackcaps and a Little Egret flew over the large meadow and we also
heard Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Blackcap and on approaching the gate to
Shoveler Hide there was a Hobby over Lagoon Four. From the hide we saw another couple of
Hobbies and there were two Shelduck and five Pochard near the hide and
thirty-five Common Terns feeding over the water.
Drake Pochard on Lagoon Three
Female Pochard on Lagoon Three
Osprey over Lagoon Three
Hobby over Lagoon Three
Common Tern over Lagoon Three
Common Tern over Lagoon Three
Common Tern over Lagoon Three
Common Tern over Lagoon Three
We went to Plover Hide on
Lagoon Four but found just two Ringed Plovers on the stony area. As we left the hide and approached the scrub
just beyond Bittern Hide a Nightingale sang intermittently but we couldn’t
locate it and there was also a Garden Warbler in the same area.
A visit to Sandpiper Hide on
Lagoon Four produced a pair of Oystercatcher with two tiny chicks, another
Ringed Plover and eleven Common Terns on Island Ten and a Curlew on Island
One. We did have further views of Red
Kite, Buzzard, Osprey and Hobby and two Ravens were observed whilst in the hide
but they were all distant.
After making our way back to
the centre we didn’t find anything else on Lagoon One and after a coffee moved
off. We made a brief visit to Eyebrook
Reservoir where we saw a couple Shelduck, two Little Egrets and a distant Red
Kite and heard Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Garden Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat but
saw very little as we made our way home.
It was rather disappointing at
Rutland Water and it looks like migration is coming to an end. However I had recorded seventy-eight species
during the day, one of which was a year-tick, taking my total onto 202.
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