A day in Gloucestershire & Leicestershire - December 29, 2016

David, Malcolm, Roger and I were intending to go to Stow-on-the-Wold to see a Blue Rock Thrush, which had been present for several days but hadn't been identified until late on Sunday.  With dense fog being forecast we hadn’t rushed to get away but with no fog at 07:30 we assembled at Malcolm’s at 09:00 and headed off.

The journey was uneventful and in bright sunlight the whole time with no suggestion of any fog. Other than several Buzzards and three Kestrels we hadn’t seen anything else of note when we arrived at Stow.  After parking and getting ready we walked the short distance onto and housing estate where the bird was frequenting.

It had been showing well but had flown just before we arrived but it wasn’t too long before it reappeared but only David managed to see it before it dropped into a garden.  Malcolm and I walked closer to the area where it had been seen and found it sat on a roof but as I was about to fire off a few shots it dropped into the garden.  It was several minutes before it reappeared but then we had some excellent views as it perched on the surrounding rooftops.  It must have been in view for about twenty minutes but as it disappeared I realised I hadn’t seen either David or Roger.  I called Roger who was still in the area we started in and the bird was now showing well there.  I joined him and David and had further excellent views of the bird but it disappeared again.  We hung around for over an hour where there was no further sign and we eventually decided to head off as fog was forecast again this evening and we preferred to be closer to home if it did develop.  A Buzzard had flown over during our stay but we saw nothing else of note.

Blue Rock Thrush

Blue Rock Thrush

Blue Rock Thrush

Blue Rock Thrush

Blue Rock Thrush

Blue Rock Thrush

Blue Rock Thrush

We stopped near Combrook for some lunch on the journey before we went to Shawell hoping to find a Caspian Gull as seven had been reported there yesterday.

After parking we walked alongside the A5 to view the pools where the gulls gather and bathe.  There were a few Black-headed and Common Gulls resting on the first pit but they soon flew off and on checking the second pit, it was also devoid of gulls.  We could see thousands of gulls over the rubbish tip and several eventually flew towards and landed on the second pit.  We walked to the second pit where there was now a nice concentration of birds, which included Black-headed, Common, Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gulls.  David mentioned he might have a Caspian but as we started to look for it they all took-off and flew off.  There were still plenty of birds over the tip and a field and a field to the east was also covered in gulls.  We remained in position but eventually most of the gulls were flying off to the south-west presumably heading to roost at Draycote Water and so we called it a day.

Whilst at Shawell we saw good numbers of Teal and just before we departed several hundred Wigeon dropped in but the only other waterfowl were several Tufted Ducks, a single Gadwall and a single female Shoveler.  A Sparrowhawk also made a brief visit and a Buzzard was observed perched in a distant tree.

The Blue Rock Thrush is a new UK-tick for me but like all vagrants seen in strange locations its origin comes into question and here had already been some debate on line.  However considering the number of birds seen this autumn from the east hopefully it will be accepted as a genuine vagrant.

A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - December 27, 2016

As I was defrosting the car before leaving for Rutland Water I heard a Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming and eventually saw it in the trees to the east.  As I drove between Kibworth and Tur Langton I had three Buzzards and a Kestrel, all of which were perched in roadside trees.  I then had a further two Kestrel between Tur Langton and Slawston and just after passing through Slawston a Green Woodpecker flew along the road in front of me.  There were a few Fieldfares and a Redwing in the field as I approached the old railway bridge and a yet another perched Kestrel and more Redwings after turning onto the Medbourne Road.  As I turned towards Blaston there were a couple of Tree Sparrows in the hedge and then two more Buzzards on the far side of Blaston.  Between there and Stockerston eight Red-legged Partridge flew over the road and a single Fieldfare was seen just after Stockerston.

Other than a single Fieldfare at Gunthorpe I hadn’t seen anything else of note as I pulled up in the Egleton car park at Rutland Water.  There were a few Redwings along with a Song Thrush in the first meadow as I walked down towards the centre but there was nothing of note on the feeders and so I set off to Shoveler Hide on Lagoon Three.

Redwing

A Jay on the path alongside the large meadow was the best before I reached the Shoveler Hide, where I had gone hoping for a sighting of the Bittern.  There were couple of Pintail amongst the raft of ducks and three Little Egrets were on the lagoon but there was no sign of the Bittern.  Another birder joined me in the hide and a Green Sandpiper dropped in just afterwards and then an adult White-fronted Goose, which was a county year-tick, dropped in and joined two Greylag Geese on a small island.  I sent Erik a text to let him know about the goose and he called me back a few minutes later saying he had seen one in the North Arm and after some discussion we assumed that it would be the same bird.

Adult White-fronted Goose

Lapwing

He had seen a Whimbrel on the north shore of the North Arm as well as a couple of Black-necked Grebes, a Slavonian Grebe and a Pink-footed Goose and as I was keen to see the Whimbrel I walked back to the car park.

As I walked back I met Erik on his way to the northern lagoons and whilst talking we had three Great Spotted Woodpeckers and a couple of Siskin before I continued onto the car park and the North Arm.

Song Thrush in the Egleton Meadows

Redwing in the Egleton Meadows

Redwing in the Egleton Meadows

Redwing in the Egleton Meadows

Redwing in the Egleton Meadows

Chris Park had arrived a few minutes before myself but hadn’t seen anything and we discussed what Erik had seen he was keen to see the Slavonian Grebe.  Another birder, who we later found out was Craig Robson, informed us that the Slavonian Grebe was straight out and not too far way.  We soon found it and also a single Black-necked Grebe and then Chris found two more Black-necked Grebes just off Dickinson’s Bay.  We both then scanned the north shore for the Whimbrel several times but there was no sign.  We did find the two Barnacle Geese but couldn’t find the Pink-footed Goose Erik had seen earlier.  There was a Great White Egret in the fishponds and another along the south shore, five male and a single Goosander flew over and there were eighty plus Pintail in the arm but we eventually gave up on the Whimbrel and I went back to my car for lunch.

Whilst having lunch a second Great White Egret flew into the fishponds and I decided I would go back to the spit to have a final search for the Whimbrel.  I scanned the south shore first and found that there was a Great White Egret still there confirming there were now three.  I then scanned the north shore finding a Buzzard on the ground, which was obviously feeding on something but there was still no sign of the Whimbrel.  Something then disturbed the birds in the fishponds including a large party of Greylag Geese, which then landed in the water close to the north shore.  As scanned through them and almost immediately found the Pink-footed Goose, which was stood on the bank preening.  A further scan a few minutes later produced the adult White-fronted Goose but there was still no sign of the Whimbrel and I decided to go back to the centre.

When I got back the car park I went to the centre and joined Erik but he hadn’t seen too much of note.  There were another twenty-five Pintail on Lagoon One and five male and three female Goosanders.  Erik then found eight Snipe on the long island, a male Stonechat appeared in front of the centre and the Wigeon feeding on the long island then took to flight and I picked up a Sparrowhawk as it flew towards the Wet Meadow, where three Curlews flushed.  Erik located three red-headed Smew on Lagoon Two and whilst looking at these I found another drake Goosander.

We eventually set off to Lapwing Hide as Chris had found the Red-necked Grebe but we stopped in Smew Hide on route as a Kingfisher had been seen.  We didn’t see the Kingfisher but there was a Great White Egret and whilst in the hide Erik had message on his new Apple watch that there was a Surf Scoter at the dam.  He called Chris to make him aware and he joined us as we headed off back to the car park.

The bird was reportedly on the south side of the dam with a party of Tufted Ducks and so we decided to park at the style and then walk to the dam.  There was a raft of Tufted Duck near the tower but there was no sign of the scoter.  Chris then found it amongst another party of Tufted Duck about halfway along the dam.  We could see that it was a female-type Surf or Velvet Scoter but at the range couldn’t be certain, which and so we continued onto the dam and then walked towards the flock.

We were now much closer and could see it more clearly and the bill profile seemed to support Surf, being triangular in shape and rather flat along the upper edge and it wasn’t much bigger than the nearby Tufted Ducks.  It then raised it wings showing no white in the wing, cleanly ruling out Velvet Scoter.  Another birder, who had found the bird, then joined us and we established that it was Craig Robson, who had also found the Green-winged Teal last week.  He should certainly make more visits back to his home counties if he can deliver birds of this quality.  The Surf Scoter was a new bird for the counties and a welcome addition to my personal list but there will be a few anxious birders hoping it will still be here tomorrow.

First-winter Surf Scoter

First-winter Surf Scoter

First-winter Surf Scoter

First-winter Surf Scoter

I took Erik back to Egleton seeing another two Buzzards on route before setting off home after an excellent days birding.

A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - December 22, 2016

I picked David up this morning and we headed to Eyebrook Reservoir and we had Red Kites just after Tur Langton and as we were approaching Cranoe and a Kestrel between Slawston and Blaston.

As we approached Eyebrook Reservoir there was no sign of a Little Owl this morning and so we continued onto the bridge.  There were a few birds visiting the feeders that included Blue and Great Tits, Blackbird, Dunnock, Chaffinch and Goldfinch and we heard a Tree Sparrow but couldn’t locate it.  We drove further around the reservoir to view the inlet, where we found two Dunlin amongst the Lapwings but there was nothing else of note.  We saw a Buzzards on both the Leicestershire and Rutland side of the reservoir and two Red Kites were seen to the south of the Leicestershire side.  Another couple of stops produced three Goldeneye but there was nothing else of note and we headed for Rutland Water.

After parking in the car park at Egleton we set off towards the southern lagoons and we disturbed some passerines that were feeding on the path and the vegetation alongside the path.   We stopped and they gradually came back to feed and there were several Blue Tits and Reed Buntings, a Dunnock and a couple of Siskin.  The Siskin flew into some Alders alongside the path and on checking the trees we found four and after hearing a Great Spotted Woodpecker we picked it up in flight.

Male Siskin

We continued along the track to Snipe Hide on the Wet Meadow, seeing three Bullfinches as we approached the hide but there was very little on the Wet Meadow.  We did see three Shelducks and six Goosanders on Lagoon One from the hide but with little else we moved on.

As we approached Fieldfare Hide we had a single Fieldfare and there were two Redshanks in front of the hide and we had brief views of a Red Fox as it approached but it seemed to sense our presence and turned and headed off in the opposite direction.

We left Fieldfare Hide and continued onto Gadwall Hide were there was another Redshank and five Pintail but initially there was no sign of the hoped for Slavonian Grebe but as we were about to give up David found it some distance away nearer to Fieldfare Hide.

Having exhausted the area in front of Gadwall Hide we moved onto Goldeneye Hide and found a Green Sandpiper was still present along with another two Redshanks.  David then picked up a female-type Scaup, which flew almost immediately but I was unable to find amongst the flying Tufted Ducks.  There were a few Tufted Duck remaining and as I scanned through them I also picked up a female-type Scaup but these also flew off and out of sight into South Arm Two.

Redshank

Pied Wagtail

We left Goldeneye Hide and headed off over the top of Lax Hill and dropped down towards Lagoon Eight but there was very little on the lagoon and we continued onto the 360 Hide.  Like Lagoon Eight there was very few birds on Lagoon Five but we did pick out two Golden Plovers and a Black-tailed Godwit flying amongst a large flock of Lapwing.

Goldfinch feeding on Teasel

When we got back to the car park we headed off to the North Arm and met Roger on his way to the reserve.  He had spent quite some time looking for the Green-winged Teal in the North Arm, which he eventually saw and he also informed us that someone  was claiming a Whimbrel but he had seen the bird and wasn’t sure as he was looking towards the sun and couldn’t rule out Curlew.

As we arrived at the end of the unnamed road two birders made us aware of where the Green-winged Teal was and we soon found amongst a party of Teal but the views were rather distant.  There were three Great White Egrets on the bund but we could only find a single Black-necked Grebe, although three had been reported along with a Slavonian Grebe earlier.  There was no sign of the Whimbrel/Curlew on the south shore despite looking on several occasions but whilst scanning the area I counted forty-six Pintail.  We had lost the Green-winged Teal when Andy Mackay joined us but it didn’t take him too long to relocate it much to the delight of Dave Grey as it moved his county year-list onto 195.

David and I went back to the Egleton car park for lunch and were joined by Roger after he returned from Goldeneye and Gadwall Hides having seen the Slavonian Grebe and the Green Sandpiper.  Having finished our lunch David and I set off for the northern lagoons and went into Sandpiper Hide to view Lagoon Four.  The water was very high and consequently there were few birds with three Shelduck being the best.

As we walked back down the ramp Roger had caught us up and we then all walked down to Lapwing Hide as there was a report of Red-crested Pochard in South Arm Three.  There were plenty of birds and David found a pair of Red-crested Pochard towards Brown’s Island and on scanning the area I found two more pairs but with nothing else I went to Crake Hide.

Drake Pochard from Goldeneye Hide

Andy Mackay had seen three Water Rails rather well from the hide recently but there was no sign of any as I scanned the area but I then saw on briefly near the sluice gate as it climbed up the rocks and disappeared onto the bund.  A few minutes after Roger and David joined me we moved back towards Shoveler Hide.  We called at Smew Hide but the light was awful, although David did manage to find a couple of distant red-headed Smew.

Grey Heron from Crake Hide

Grey Heron from Crake Hide

Grey Heron from Crake Hide

Dave Grey was in Shoveler Hide when we arrived and he, like us, was hoping for views of the Bittern.  Roger had to get back home and left the three of us still hoping for the Bittern to show, which it never did.  We did see a forth Great White Egret as it flew over the lagoon and there were at least six Little Egrets feeding in a recently cleared area.  Two Red Kites passed over the lagoon and two Buzzards were observed over the reedbed, with another Red Kite and two more Buzzards over Hambleton.  Dave Grey also picked up a Peregrine on a couple of occasions but with the light fading we headed back to the car park.

As we walked back along the track form the hide a Red Fox ran along the top of the Lagoon Four bund at some speed and a Snipe flew over just after reaching the main path.  David and I called at Grebe Hide where we found six red-headed Smew in the fading light and then had a Barn Owl fly over before we got back to the car.

A morning at Rutland Water, Rutland - December 18, 2016

It was WeBS Count today and we were meeting in the Volunteer’s Centre at Rutland Water.  Lloyd and Tim Mac had cooked bacon and sausage as a special treat for Christmas, which was a nice surprise before we stated the count.

I was assigned my usual areas of South Arm Three and Lagoon One but suspected that I might be some time in the south arm as there had been a large number of waterfowl recently.  As it was also a little misty I decided I would count from the Old Hall to Lapwing hide and across to Brown’s Island from the north shore and then go to the reserve to complete the count along the south shore.

As I suspected there were plenty of birds and it took me almost ninety minutes to complete the count from the north shore, with Coot and Tufted Duck being the most numerous.  There was also good numbers of Mute Swan; Wigeon, Gadwall and Great Crested Grebe with smaller numbers of Teal, Mallard, Pochard and Goldeneye.  I also found the female Ruddy Duck and there were three Little Egrets on the distant bund, a Redshank on the shoreline and a Raven flew over.

Having completed the count from the north shore I drove to the Egleton Reserve and after parking near Snipe Hide walked to Fieldfare Hide.  There wasn’t so many birds has there had been on Tuesday but there were eight Pintail amongst the more numerous Teal and there were more Coot and Tufted Duck.  There were at least four Reed Buntings feeding amongst the grass in front of the hide and also a couple of Chiffchaffs.

I continued onto Gadwall Hide where there were two Slavonian Grebes and an immature Scaup, with more Mute Swan, Wigeon, Gadwall, Mallard, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Goldeneye, Great Crested Grebe and Coot and also another Redshank.

My final stop was Goldeneye Hide and on opening the flap there was a Green Sandpiper quite close and I then found a Dunlin and two more Redshanks amongst a small party of Lapwing.  There were yet more Mute Swan, Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Pintail, Shoveler, Goldeneye, Great Crested Grebe and Coot but I had eventually finished the South Arm Three count.  I had counted 3766 birds in total with Coot being the most numerous with 2288 counted.

I had spoken to Tim who agreed that he and Chris would take on Lagoon One but I went into Harrier Hide to see if there were birds they wouldn’t see from the centre.  There was just two Shoveler that probably wouldn’t be visible but I also had a Little Egret and Great White Egret.

I went into the centre to see Tim and hand-in the figures seeing a pair of Stonechat and then went to the North Arm as the Green-winged Teal seen yesterday was still present.  After parking I walked down the road and through the gate to view the North Arm and after joining another birder found the Green-winged Teal amongst a party of Teal on the far shore.  There was another Great White Egret on the bund and I found two of the Black-necked Grebes further in the arm and whilst looking for the Long-tailed Duck, which another bird eventually found, I found a pair of Red-crested Pochards and counted sixty-one Pintail with a Grey Wagtail flying over.

A day in West Norfolk - December 17, 2016

Malcolm had offered to drive to Norfolk today and Ken, Roger and I were keen to take him up on his offer.  Roger picked me up and we drove to Market Harbour and joined Malcolm before heading to Corby to collect Ken.  It was dry and clear as we left Market Harborough and as we began to climb the hill out of the town a Barn Owl flew across the road.

After collecting Ken we headed out of the Corby on the A43 to the A47 and the headed for Peterborough.  As we approached Peterborough it became quite foggy and remained so until just after King’s Lynn when it began to thin and when we reached the Jet Ski launch at Hunstanton the visibility wasn’t too bad.

There had been reports of a Purple Sandpiper on the rocks at the Jet Ski launch site and with tide high we were hoping it would be there.  As I reached the top of the ramp the Purple Sandpiper was roosting on the rocks just the left and provided some nice views.  There were also a few Turnstone and a single Sanderling but the sea was almost devoid of birds and we were soon on our way again.

Purple Sandpiper

Purple Sandpiper

Herring Gulls near the Jet Ski Ramp

We stopped briefly on the cliff top at Hunstanton where we saw a couple of Fulmar but with little else we were soon on our way to Titchwell.

As we walked out along the west bank to the sea at Titchwell the fog cleared to give way to bright sunshine.  We didn’t spend anytime viewing the lagoons as we wanted to reach the sea whilst the tide was still high but we did see fourteen Avocets on the Freshwater Marsh.

When we reached the sea the tide was just starting to recede and there were masses of waterfowl on the water.  As we scanned we could see that most were Common Scoter but there were also good numbers of Long-tailed Ducks, with some splendid looking males.  A closer look produced a number of Velvet Scoters and I then found a Slavonian Grebe.  The birds moved out slowly with the tide but were still quite close and we added Eider and Red-breasted Merganser and I eventually managed to see a lone Scaup.  Malcolm then found a diver, which he was hoping would be a Black-throated but it turned out to be a Great Northern and we had a second in flight.  Roger then found a Red-throated Diver and again we found a second and I found a single Guillemot.  As the water continued to recede a few waders began appearing, most being Oystercatchers and Turnstones but there were also a few Sanderling and Bar-tailed Godwits.

We had been on the beach for a good hour and were thinking of going back to view the lagoons when one of the wardens informed us that a Firecrest was performing near the fen trail path and so we headed straight back.  As we made our way back a bank of fog swept in and it was quite foggy when we reached the fen trail where there was no sign of the Firecrest.  Roger and I went back to the car park area and found a small party of Long-tailed Tits and a single Goldcrest but the Firecrest wasn’t seen again whilst we were on site.

With the fog still quite bad we decided we would go back to try and view the lagoons as best as we could.  Malcolm and I hadn’t gone too far when Tony, who had joined us, cried Hen Harrier, and a ring-tailed passed over Thornham Pool and landed on some vegetation on the edge of the pool.  It then moved a little further away but could still be seen quite well until it flew off into the fog.  The views were still pretty good despite the fog as it used its tail to retain its balance in the light breeze.

As we moved along the bank the fog began clearing again and we were able to view the three lagoons.  When we reached the tidal lagoons I found two waders that were roosting at the far end and I suspected that they were Spotted Redshanks.  As I was watching them and alerting the others something disturbed them and they lifted their heads briefly and confirmed my suspicious that they were Spotted Redshanks.

On reaching the beach the tide was now further out and we walked towards another group of birds near the shoreline to view the waterfowl again.  A Black-throated Diver had been seen just after we left previously and had been seen a few minutes ago but we were unable to locate it and so nothing else new.

It was no approaching 13:00 and so we returned for some lunch finding that there were now three Spotted Redshanks roosting and a Knot was on the Volunteer Marsh.  As we approached the end of the path the fog returned yet again and was quite thick at times and so after lunch we went to Thornham.

Grey Plover on the Volunteer Marsh

Our target here was Twite but as we got out of the car we found a Rock Pipit on the old coal barn and as we walked towards the bridge over the creek we picked up a small party of finches in flight.  They landed in a tree but we were unable to identify them in the fog as they just silhouettes.  As we walked back towards the bridge the party of finches eventually settled were we could see them and we were able to confirm that they were Twite and I counted twenty-six.  With our target in the bag and the fog not getting any better we decided we would head for home whilst there was still some light.

We drove back past Titchwell and took the road to Choseley Barns finding eight Grey Partridge in one of the fields and circa fifty Linnets on the wires just after the barns.

It remained foggy until we had got beyond Wisbech after which we had a single Buzzard and then a Kestrel before reaching Peterborough.

A day in North-west Leicestershire - December 16, 2016

Roger and I had agreed to visit a few sites in Northwest Leicestershire today and dawn was just breaking when we left Roger’s around 07:30, heading for Kelham Bridge.

When we arrived at Kelham Bridge it was still rather dull and felt a little colder than of late in the light south-easterly wind.  We entered the reserve and headed for the first hide but it seemed much quieter than on my last visit with David and we hadn’t seen anything of note before reaching the hide.  There were a few Blue and Great Tits visiting the feeders and eventually our target bird, a Willow Tit, arrived but initially seemed reluctant to visit the feeders but did eventually on several occasions but didn’t stay very long.  Robin, Dunnock, Chaffinch and two Grey Squirrels also visited the feeding area and there was a Teal and several Moorhens on the flash in front of the hide.

We continued onto the second hide but other than a pair of Mute Swan, several Moorhen and two Coots there was very little and so we continued around the footpath but there were clearly fewer birds than on my last visit, when it was alive with birds.  We did see a single Kestrel perched overlooking one of the grassy areas and a Buzzard flew over but other than a few Blackbirds, a single Song Thrush and a few Wren, Robin and Dunnock we saw nothing else.

After getting back to the car we headed for Blackbrook Reservoir and hopefully Mandarin Duck.  As we walked down the lane towards the observation point a party of Long-tailed Tits along with two Goldcrests flew ahead of us.  An initial scan of the reservoir with the bins produced just Mallard and a couple of Grey Herons but as we scanned the shore with our telescopes we found eight males and four female Mandarins.  There was also a few Wigeon and a party of Teal flew in during our stay.  Whilst standing on the bridge we had a brief view of a Kingfisher, a Nuthatch flew over and a Goldcrest performed rather well.  As we approached the road on the way back to the car a party of Fieldfare were observed as they flew out of a tree and headed off to the south-east.

We then headed for Swithland Reservoir and stopped on the road to view the southern section.  There was a good selection of birds on the water but nothing unusual with five Shoveler being the best.

We then drove around to the northern section and parked at the far end of the dam to try and get out of the wind.  As we were parking Roger noticed a bird perched on the horizon, which turned out to be a Peregrine.  There were few birds on the water with eight Goldeneye and a Little Egret being the highlights and it was very quiet generally.  We did see the Peregrine soaring around as we had lunch but other than a single Coal Tit we saw nothing else and eventually moved onto our final destination, Cossington Meadows.

Although there was still a light south-east wind it did feel a little warmer as we walked out towards Rectory Marsh.  When we reached the marsh there was a single Little Egret feeding along the far shore and several Mallard on the water.  As we moved further around the footpath a party of Wigeon flushed from the near bank along with the Glossy Ibis, which then landed on the far shore.  As I did my best to get some shots of the ibis in very poor light a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over and we eventually tried to get to Swan Meadow via the northern footpath but it was very muddy and we returned the way we had come.

Glossy Ibis

As we approached the main footpath a Green Woodpecker flew over and a Kestrel was observed as we walked along the path alongside Swan Meadow towards Tern Pool.  There were quite a few birds on Tern Pool including several Shoveler and three Pochard and a Little Egret flew over.  Upper Marsh and Hobley Lake produced very little and from Holbey Lake we walked across the field to head back alongside the River Soar.  We saw very little along the river and other than a few Wigeon and Teal on Lower Moor and hadn’t seen much else until we were almost back to the main footpath when we observed a few birds in the hedgerow.  There were at least four Redwings, a Great Tit and several Goldfinch but we couldn’t find anything else and we called it a day.

A day at Rutland Water, Rutland - December 13, 2016

When I left home this morning I was surprised to find that it was quite foggy as it hadn’t been forecast and thirty minutes early it had been crystal clear.  It was still quite thick when I arrived in the car park at Egleton but there were twenty Redwings and three Fieldfares in the first meadow as I walked towards the centre.  I spent a while observing the feeders at Egleton, where there was quite a bit of activity, with Blue and Great Tits visiting the feeders regularly and more Chaffinch than I had seen at the feeders for some time.  A Great Spotted Woodpecker made a brief visit and there was also a Pheasant, Moorhen, a Collared Dove, Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock, Goldfinches and a single Greenfinch.

I went into the centre and after a brief chat with Stephen headed off towards Snipe Hide on the Wet Meadow.  As I walked through the woodland there were several Bullfinches but other than a few Blackbirds and Robins I had seen little else as I reached the end of the wood.  There was quite a bit of activity as I continued along the path with a few Blackbirds, Fieldfares more Goldfinches and Bullfinches and a single Reed Bunting.  As I reached the turn to Snipe Hide a party of finches flew over, which I suspected might be Siskin but they remained quiet and were just silhouettes and I couldn’t be sure.  A bird then flew from the area of scrub but landed almost immediately and I was surprised to see it was a lone Lesser Redpoll.

There was very little on the Wet Meadow from Snipe Hide, mainly Wigeon and Teal with a couple of Gadwall.  As I continued along the path to Harrier Hide two Curlew and a Shelduck flew over and after meeting Tim Caldicott, who was on his early morning circuit and had seen the Slavonian Grebe from Gadwall Hide and continued on.

There were at least ten Siskin in the Alders alongside the path but as it started to rain I made my way to Fieldfare Hide.  There were lots of birds both around the shoreline and on the water, which were mainly Wigeon, Teal and Tufted Duck but I also found a single Pintail and a Little Egret flew in.

With the fog now lifting when I opened the flaps in Gadwall Hide I could see there were plenty of birds, which stretched from Brown’s Island and round to Goldeneye Hide.  There were plenty of Wigeon, Tufted Duck and Coot and a few Great Crested Grebes and two Pintail just in front of the hide.  I eventually found the Slavonian Grebe, which was quite close to the hide and provided some nice views and there was a single Redshank feeding along the edge.

When I reached Goldeneye Hide I hadn’t seen anything else and on opening the flaps there was a Green Sandpiper with a Redshank almost in front but they both flew off towards the point.  As I scanned through the Lapwing on the point I found another two Redshank and three Dunlin but there was little else of note and I continued around Lax Hill before dropping down towards Lagoon Eight seeing a couple of Red Kites as I did so.  There was very little on either Lagoon Five or eight and I didn’t see a great deal else on the walk back to the centre with another Bullfinch and two more Reed Buntings being the highlights.

After a chat with Mike I went into the centre before going for lunch and with the thick fog now gone it was possible to view all of Lagoon One.  There was a male Stonechat just in front of the centre and I counted forty-one Pintail on the lagoon but with little else of note I went to the North Arm.

I scanned the fishponds whilst having my lunch and found a Great White Egret on the bund in the fishponds and I could see a second in the North Arm.  There were also three male and four female Goosanders in the fishponds and a single Pintail.  After I had finished my lunch I went down the spit to view the North Arm.  There were three Little Egrets on the bund and a fourth and a Shelduck on the north shore and nine Pintail feeding in the shallows.  I walked towards the end of the spit to scan the south bay and counted fifty-six Pintail and there was a Great White Egret and a Redshank on the shoreline, although presumably the Great White Egret was one I had seen earlier as one was no longer near the north shore.  There were quite a few Greylag Geese on the shore and in the water and most then entered the water and on scanning one of the groups I found the Pink-footed Goose.  I spent quite some time scanning the water for the Long-tailed Duck and the Black-necked Grebes without success but the mist wasn’t helping, particularly towards the far shore.  As I was scanning towards the North Shore I saw several Dunlin in flight but they were extremely difficult to see once on the ground but there were at least twenty.

I eventually gave up on the Long-tailed Duck and Black-necked Grebes and went back to the reserve and walked out to Lapwing Hide seeing a third Great White Egret on Lagoon One as I set off.  A brief stop in Smew Hide produced a red-headed Smew and there was a single Little Egret from Crake Hide.  There were plenty of birds in South Arm Three but I couldn't find anything of note and I went back to Shoveler Hide on Lagoon Three.

When I reached the hide two other birders were just leaving but they hadn’t seen much from the hide but had seen both the Long-tailed Duck and Black-necked Grebes earlier.  I had a quick look on Lagoon Three and found another four Pintail but with a working party in the reedbed I decided I would go back to the North Arm as the fog was now almost gone.

I called at Grebe Hide on Lagoon Two as the two birders had also seen four red-headed Smew earlier.  There were another three Pintail in front of the hide but initially there was no sign of any Smew.  As I continued scanning I heard a Cetti’s Warbler and three red-headed Smew flew out from the reeds near Lapwing Hide.

When I got back to the car the fog had completely gone but as I approached the North Arm it was still lingering and with the light beginning to fade I wasn’t too optimistic.  When I got to the end of the spit there were now masses of gulls on the water, which didn’t help looking for the grebes but I did find the Long-tailed Duck before I called it a day and headed off home.

A day in Derbyshire - December 8, 2016

A first-winter Dusky Thrush had been identified late on 4^th at Beeley in Derbyshire and with it still present yesterday; Malcolm, Roger and I decided we would go.  We left before dawn and drove through some very heavy rain on route arriving at Beeley just before 09:00, knowing that the bird was still present.  However after parking we discovered that it had been in the orchard since first light but had just flown off.

Two birders said it had flown off to the north and so we walked up School Lane to look for it.  It started to rain quite heavily again and so we took shelter under a conifer until it stopped and we then went to Dukes Barn to view the orchard, hoping it would repeat its behaviour over the last few days.

There was quite an anxious wait of about an hour before it flew into one of the apple trees and began feeding on the apples.  It then gave some nice views but spent most of the time on the far side and after about fifteen minutes it flew off again.

First-winter Dusky Thrush

First-winter Dusky Thrush

First-winter Dusky Thrush

We hung around for the rest of the morning having further views of it in trees and then on the ground but due to my position and some branches lying on the ground I was unable to get any decent photos, which was rather frustrating as I could see it rather well at times.

Whilst we were on site there were numerous Fieldfare and Redwing flying over and we also had a Sparrowhawk, a Buzzard, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Raven and a Grey Wagtail of interest but after some lunch we went up to Beeley Moor hoping to catch up with Red Grouse.

It was rather bleak and windy on the moor and with no sign of any Red Grouse we moved onto Cromford and after parking walked south alongside the River Derwent.  Malcolm had always seen Dipper here but the water was quite high and after almost walking the full stretch of the best area we were losing hope.  Malcolm suggested that we walk to the end of the wooded area and just as we began to continue Roger found one not too far away.  It flew up river and as we walked back we saw it several times and I did manage to get a few nice shots of it.

Dipper

Dipper

Dipper

When we got back to the car we decided to have a walk alongside the canal before heading off for home.  We hadn’t gone too far when Roger noticed a few birds feeding at the top of an Alder, which turned out to be five Goldfinches.  As we watched them another party of bird joined them, which contained at least ten Siskin.  We continued along the towpath seeing quite a few Redwings but only one Fieldfare and also a couple of Mistle Thrushes and a party of Long-tailed Tits before we turned back to the car park.  As we got near the car park a Sparrowhawk flew over and after a coffee we set off for home seeing a Buzzard and Kestrel on route.

It was my second Dusky Thrush in the UK, which took my year-list onto 249 and I wonder if I will get one more to reach 250.

A day in Leicestershire & Rutland and Cambridgeshire - December 3, 2016

With David on his way to Costa Rica, Roger and I set off for Rutland Water and initially went to the Lyndon Reserve.  We had a Red Kite over the road just after passing through Cranoe, a Buzzard and a Green Woodpecker just beyond Blaston and a Kestrel near the Eyebrook Reservoir turn before reaching Lyndon.

As we drove along the entrance road there were quite a few winter thrushes with both Fieldfare and Redwing in evidence.  After parking we viewed the feeders where there were Blue and Great Tits coming and going and six Tree Sparrows with a Great Spotted Woodpecker paying a visit and a Peregrine flying over.

As we walked to Wader Scrape Hide we found eight Red-legged Partridges in a field to the south of the path and a Treecreeper as we approached the turn to the hide.

Once in the hide there appeared to be very little on the water and as we scanned the edges for any waders we only saw a few Lapwings but did eventually find a single Dunlin.  On the water there were a few Wigeon, Mallard, Shoveler, Pochard and Tufted Duck and a few Teal were feeding around the edges.  Roger then picked up a Red Fox running along the far shore, which flushed a probable Stonechat but it dropped down before we were able to be sure and didn’t reappear.  Whilst we were looking for the Stonechat I picked up a  Green Woodpecker in flight and then found a male Stonechat quite close to the hide.

Male Stonechat

As we left the hide we could hear a Kestrel calling and few seconds later it flew over but other than a couple of Bullfinches we had seen little else by the time we got back to the centre.  We checked the activity around the feeding station and were rewarded with a Marsh Tit.

From Lyndon we drove around to the North Arm, where the Red-necked Grebe had been reported yesterday, along with the Long-tailed Duck and two Black-necked Grebes.  After parking at the end of the unnamed road we scanned the fishponds and found five Goosanders, a Little Egret, a Snipe and a Redshank.  Roger then picked up two Kingfishers in flight but I only saw one, which had perched in the hedge alongside the fishponds.

We scanned the northern section of the arm from the spit and found the two Barnacle Geese and the two Black-necked Grebes and there was a Buzzard over the North Arm and another over Burley Wood but with little else in evidence we walked into the field to scan the southern section.  We viewed from the small copse in the field and I counted twenty-seven Pintail and Roger then found the red-headed Smew and there was a single Redshank on the shore but we couldn’t find either the Long-tailed Duck or Red-necked Grebe.

I suggested that we should go to the South Arm to look for the Red-necked Grebe hoping it might have returned to favoured location this winter.  A Red Kite was observed over Oakham Road and a Jay flushed from the verge as we made our way to Hambleton.  We dropped down the hill from the church and after parking walked east and beyond the Old Hall to view the bay.  There weren’t too many birds in the bay and after scanning them several times without success we thought the grebe wasn’t there.  I made a final scan with the bins and saw what I thought was the grebe quite close to the shore and when I got the scope on it I was able to confirm that it was the Red-necked Grebe.  We moved back along the track and scanned the birds just to the west of the Old Hall and found the male Scaup amongst a party of Tufted Duck and there were three Dunlin and a single Redshank on the shore.

As I had, had a successful afternoon at Eldernell on Tuesday we had agreed we would go there this afternoon.  As we drove towards Empingham my Sat Nav was indicating that the road was closed either just before or at the A1 junction and suggested a route to pick up a more northern junction.  Rather than take the risk the information was incorrect we turned left at Empingham and headed towards the suggested junction.  There was a Kestrel just after leaving the village and as we approached Bloody Oaks Quarry I noticed a Barn Owl sitting in tree hole but Roger missed it and so I reversed back up the road and the owl was fortunately still sitting there.

We hadn’t seen anything else of note when we pulled up in the small parking area at Marsh Farmers.  We had some lunch before walking to the top of the bank but there appeared to be very little on the wash and we assumed that as the farmer was removing bales from the field it had probably caused some disturbance.  There was a Buzzard perched on a post on the far side of the wash and there were actually plenty of Lapwings.  As we scanned through the Lapwing we found at least six Ruff and there was also 200+ Golden Plover, a few Redshank, two Whooper Swans and a Little Egret.  The flock of birds took to flight on several occasions and on one occasion all of the Redshank appeared to congregate in a small area and I counted twenty-two, also found a lone Dunlin and twenty Snipe.  Roger found four Cranes in flight but they were very distant, close to the old duck decoy.  He then picked up a Stonechat on the far side of the dyke, which then flew to the near side being followed by a second and there were also a couple of Little Grebes in the dyke.

We eventually moved back to Eldernell and whilst parking Craig arrived but after a brief chat he went to the top of the bank to look for some Cranes that were being seen but returned a few minutes later without success.  Another birder on the dyke had seen the Cattle Egret to the east of the car park earlier and so we went with a forth birder to look for it.  We had seen a few more Whooper Swans but when a party of ten swans flew over I thought that they were Bewick’s and when they landed on a small flash I was even more convinced as was everyone else.  We eventually reached another birder on the bank who was watching the Cattle Egret, which was pretty distant but a year-tick for Roger.  As we stood taking the other birder indicated the swans I thought were Bewick’s were actually Whooper Swans and when we looked sure enough there were four Whooper Swans but as I went through the rest there were clearly some Bewick’s and eventually we all agreed that most were Bewick’s of which there were twenty, with just eight Whooper.  There was another party of circa twenty Whooper Swans in a field to the east and we had two Kestrels over the wash and another Stonechat.  Roger then cried harrier, ring-tail and three of us had quite nice views as it flew west.  Craig had wandered off but did manage to get distant views after I called him back and we also saw the four Cranes.  As we walked back to the car park Craig picked up a Sparrowhawk, which I saw briefly but surprisingly we still hadn’t seen a Marsh Harrier.  When we reached the car park we saw two Short-eared Owls and a Barn Owl in the fading light.

It had been another excellent day’s birding with eighty-three species recorded that included some quality birds.

A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - December 1, 2016

It was overcast when Roger and I left this morning and a little warmer than the last few days.  However as we moved east towards Eyebrook Reservoir the cloud began to clear resulting in a sharp frost and despite the forecast predicting heavy cloud all day it remained mainly bright and sunny.

On route we had a Kestrel and a Buzzard between Tur Langton and Stonton Wyville and there was a Muntjac feeding at the side of the road as we approached Slawston.  There was another Kestrel and a party of Fieldfare and Redwing as we approached Blaston and the Little Owl was in the Old Oak from the approach to Eyebrook Reservoir.

It felt pretty cold at Eyebrook Reservoir and we stopped briefly at the bridge seeing a Red Kite, a Redwing and a couple of Tree Sparrows.  As we moved around to view the inlet there were more Fieldfare and Redwing alongside the road.  The area around the inlet was actually frozen over but the stream and most of the reservoir were ice free.  It wasn’t easy viewing due to bright sunlight 

reflecting on the water and so we moved further along the road to look back into the inlet.  We had seen a few Dunlin from our original position but we were now able to see that there were thirty-four and we also found three Snipe and a Redshank.  There were plenty of wildfowl on the water, which were mainly Wigeon, Teal and Mallard but there were also a few Tufted Duck, four Shoveler and a couple of Goldeneye between the inlet and Stoke Dry car park.  There was a second Red Kite over the Leicestershire fields and two Buzzards flew over the east road.

From Eyebrook Reservoir we moved to Rutland Water via Lyddington, Wing and Lyndon seeing quite a few more Fieldfare and Redwing as we did so.  There was also a Red Kite over Lyddington and a Buzzard at our regular stop just south of Wing.  As we approached Lyndon we had a Treecreeper in a roadside tree and then a second at the church in Lyndon along with a couple of Nuthatches.

When we reached Manton Road near the entrance to the Lyndon Reserve we turned right and headed for the dam hoping for a Great Northern Diver and seeing a Great Spotted Woodpecker as we approached the dam.  We stopped overlooking the dam from the southern shore but initially there was no sign of any divers and we considered going to Sykes Lane car park and walking along the dam to get a better view of the water.  Before we set off I called David who was also out but only for the morning to see how he was getting on.  He had seen the Red-necked Grebe in the South Arm and in the North Arm he had seen a Long-tailed Duck, two Black-necked Grebes and a Great White Egret.  After I finished talking to him Roger was looking intently at something and when I asked if he had found anything he said he might have a diver but wasn’t sure as it close to the north shore.  He got me onto the bird and as the bird turned side on it was clearly one of the Great Northern Divers.  As we didn’t need to go to Sykes Lane now we headed for the North Arm and parked along the unnamed road.

David was now heading for the Egleton Reserve but indicated that he may have just found the Whimbrel but we couldn’t see it from the end of the road.  After scanning the fishponds and finding thirteen Goosanders, a Little Egret and a Snipe we walked out onto the spit to get a better view of the north shore.

There were three Little Egrets on the bund and a couple of drake Pintail near the north shore.  Roger than found a bird, which was possibly the bird David thought might be a Whimbrel, but it turned out to be a Curlew.  There were also thirty-four Dunlin feeding on the north shore and Roger than picked up the two Black-necked Grebes.

As we walked into the field the light wasn’t very good looking up the North Arm and so we started walking to the southern shore to improve the light.  We then saw Norman, who had walked further down the arm and we decided to join him.  When we reached him he hadn’t seen the Long-tailed Duck but said he had seen a red-headed Smew but some time ago.  As Roger and I started to scan the area I picked up the Smew, which was further up the arm.  After getting Norman and Roger onto it I saw a bird in the centre of the water and on getting the scope on it, it was a female Long-tailed Duck.  After viewing the Long-tailed Duck for a few minutes and rescanning the north shore where we saw a Shelduck we decided to walk back as it was quite cold where we were standing.

As we walked back in the sun it felt quite a bit warmer and we stopped to view the northern shore again.  There was a large party of Greylag Geese feeding in the grass beyond the edge of the waterline and some had started walking towards the water and began bathing when they reached it.  As I went through them I found the Pink-footed Goose as it also walked down to the shoreline, where it became more difficult as it mixed with the Greylags.  Roger found it quite quickly but it took a little longer to get Norman onto it but he eventually saw it.  We also found another Curlew and just after I found the Pink-footed Goose, Roger located the two Barnacle Geese were playing hide and seek near Dickinson’s Bay.

We had also seen one of the Great White Egrets in the North Arm and as we walked back I picked one up on the fishponds bund and Roger said is that another flying in.  It was and as it joined the first Roger again said is that a third coming in as it disappeared behind a tree but soon reappeared to confirm his identification.

When we got back to the cars Norman said he was going to take his lunch, whilst Roger and I decided to go and look for the Red-necked Grebe in the South Arm.  We walked beyond the Old Hall and then walked into the field to improve the light and started scanning a party of birds on the water.  There were plenty of Wigeon, Tufted Duck and Coot and a few Gadwall, Mallard, Goldeneye and Great Crested Grebes but despite scanning them quite a few times we were unable to find the Red-necked Grebe.  Roger did find a drake Scaup amongst the Tufted Ducks but a yacht then came closer and many of the birds flew off with the Coot tending to swim out of the bay.  This would have been a good time to find the Red-necked Grebe as it would most likely be on the surface but we had no joy and walked back to the south of the Old Hall in the hope it might have just gone to the other side.  There were an awful lot of birds in South Arm Three but most were quite distant, with either being near Lapwing Hide or along the southern shore and there was no sign of the grebe.  There were three Dunlin and a Redshank in the first bay but other than a few Goldeneye we found nothing else of note.

Pair of Egyptian Geese near the Old Hall

When we reached the Egleton car park I called Norman to let him know that we had been unable to find the Red-necked Grebe and agreed to call us if he had any better luck.  After some lunch, when we saw circa thirty Golden Plover over Lagoon One, we went to the visitor's centre and viewed Lagoon One form the viewing area.  There was a Great White Egret at the back of the Lagoon, which was possibly a forth bird and I counted 141 Pintail, which were the most numerous duck on the lagoon.  There was a pair of Stonechat feeding just in front of the centre but with little else we made our way to the northern lagoons.

When we arrived at Shoveler Hide, after seeing our second Great Spotted Woodpecker of the day, we decided to go onto Lapwing Hide to see if we could locate the Red-necked Grebe.  We stopped briefly in Crake Hide where there was a Little Egret and three Little Grebes but as we could see more wildfowl would be visible from Lapwing Hide we soon moved on.

On reaching Lapwing Hide I opened a flap and a Kingfisher flashed in front and disappeared round towards Crake Hide and unfortunately Roger didn’t see it.  There were still masses on birds in South Arm Three and we could see a number of them reasonably well from Lapwing Hide, although large numbers were still too distant to be sure of identification.  As we scanned through the near flocks I found a couple of female-type Scaup, one of which was clearly an immature, but there was no sign of the Red-necked Grebe and we made our way back to Shoveler Hide on Lagoon Three.

A terrific amount of work has been done on Lagoon Three in terms of clearing some of the reeds and the area now looks superb but just a single Redshank and a few Teal were taking advantage of it today but it should produce good results in the future.  There were four Little Egrets in an area cleared on the edge of the man reedbed, a Great White Egret was also observed in flight and there was a single Pintail on the lagoon.

With the light starting to go, we headed back to the centre to view Lagoon One hoping that a Barn Owl seen on several occasions recently would appear.  However despite us being granted extra time in the viewing area after closer we didn’t have any luck but seven Curlews did fly in and presumably two of them were the two we had seen earlier in the North Arm.