A late morning and afternoon in Leicestershire - March 12, 2017

I should have been counting wildfowl today at Rutland Water but was suffering with a virus and had decided not to go as I wasn’t feeling great and the weather forecast was for heavy rain.  As it turned out the weather wasn’t as bad as predicted and when I received a phone call telling me that Steve had found a Bonaparte’s Gull at Swithland Reservoir, which was a first for the counties, I was keen not to miss it.

I called Steve to check if it was still there but as I was talking to him it took to flight and flew off with several Black-headed Gull towards Quorn. I was now unsure what to do as I was still not feeling great but Steve then called to say that it had returned and so I decided I should go.

It takes me just over thirty minutes to get to Swithland Reservoir and I was obviously concerned that it might go but as per the forecast it was now raining and I was hoping it would keep it there.  When I arrived, there was a crowd assembled by the stone wall along Kinchley Lane and after parking just beyond them I walked back to find that it was still there.  It was resting on the water between the wall and the dam, along with several Black-headed Gulls and it flew several times but only short distances.  I went back to the car to get the camera hoping I might get a record shot but as I walked back a helicopter flew over and all the gulls flushed.  Roger and Norman had watched it as it flew off over the conifers in the direction of Quorn.

With the bird no longer present we decided to go to the dam hoping that it would come back as it had done previously.  We hadn’t been at the dam very long when a party of Black-headed Gulls flew in but the Bonaparte’s wasn’t with them.  Colin, Chris and David had arrived after it had departed and were now waiting aqueously hoping it would return.  Another party of gulls then flew and this time it was with them and it remained for quite a while giving everyone present good, if distant views. 

Second-winter Bonaparte’s Gull with several Black-headed Gulls

Second-winter Bonaparte’s Gull

Second-winter Bonaparte’s Gull showing dark marking on the outer two primaries

Second-winter Bonaparte’s Gull showing dark marking on the outer primaries and a suggestion of markings on the primary coverts

The Bonaparte’s was clearly smaller than the Black-headed Gulls with a finer black bill but could easily have been overlooked amongst a flock of Black-headed Gulls, so well done to Steve in finding it.  Once familiar with the bird it was quite easy to pick out with the upperparts being slightly darker and greyish hind-neck and sides of breast making it distinct from the Black-headed Gulls.

Whilst we were on site there were two Peregrine seen, along with several Buzzard and a Raven over Buddon Wood and two Grey Wagtail were observed along the dam.  The gull eventually flew off again and Malcolm and I went to the causeway across the southern section where we found a single female Mandarin.

We then went to Church Langton where David had seen three Waxwings earlier today but they didn’t materialise whilst we were there but we did have thirteen Fieldfare and circa thirty Redwing and another Buzzard.