I made an early start today
leaving home round 05:40 and headed for Rutland Water hoping for a good day’s
birding, particularly after the excitement of the last two days. I hadn’t seen a great deal on route and David
had just arrived as I pulled up in the car park.
It felt cold in the fresh north-east
wind as we made our way towards the northern lagoons and we took the summer
trail, which was now open again. We
heard Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap and Garden Warbler and as we
approached the end of the trail there was a Nightingale singing close to Osprey
Hide. We spent a few minutes trying to
see it and despite it appearing to be very close at times we had no joy and
continued onto Plover Hide on Lagoon Four.
The Nightingale present near
Bittern Hide recently was quiet as we passed and walked up the ramp to Plover
Hide. Initially there appeared to be
very little from Plover Hide but we did eventually pick up a few Ringed Plover
and Dunlin along with a Grey Plover and Turnstone. Malcolm then called us to see where we were
and shortly afterwards we joined him in Sandpiper Hide, where he had seen much
as we had done. Tim then joined us in
the hide and he picked up a couple of Little Ringed Plovers and shortly afterwards
I found four Ruff, a male and three reeves and we also had a single Common
Sandpiper. There was a pair of Avocets
nesting on Island Eight along with a pair of Oystercatchers and four Black
Terns joined the resting Common Terns. A
Red Kite passed over the lagoon providing a nice photo opportunity.
Red Kite
Red Kite
We eventually left the hide
and decided to walk back to Bittern Hide to see if we could connect with the
Nightingale. The Nightingale was singing
when we reached the area but David went into the hide whilst Malcom and I stood
outside. We hadn’t been there many
minutes when I thought I might have seen it and then it appeared in the hedge
before surprisingly dropping onto the ground.
We alerted David and then had some superb views as it returned on
several occasions.
Nightingale
Nightingale
Nightingale
Nightingale
Nightingale
Song Thrush on the path to Bittern Hide
We viewed Lagoon Three from
Bittern Hide and found a single Arctic Tern amongst the more numerous Common
Terns and there were also several Black Terns.
We moved to Shoveler Hide hoping to get a better view but could only
find seven Black Terns and were unable to relocate the Arctic Tern.
Pied Wagtail
We eventually moved onto
Lapwing Hide where we had several Common Terns and some very distant Black
Terns but there was very little else and so we went back to Sandpiper Hide on
Lagoon Four, seeing and Osprey flying over as left the hide. There was nothing new from Sandpiper Hide and
so we started to make our way back for lunch but called at Redshank Hide on
Lagoon Two hoping to find the female Ruddy Duck. There was no sign of the Ruddy but two Hobby
flew over before we headed back to the centre.
A Bar-tailed Godwit had been
reported on Lagoon Five and after some discussion we headed off there before
lunch.
When we arrived in the 360
Hide overlooking Lagoon Five there was no sign of the reported Bar-tailed
Godwit but we did find a Barnacle Goose and three Redshank. Ken then joined us in the hide and shortly
afterwards I went to Shelduck Hide to get a different view of the lagoon. There were two more Redshank on Lagoon Seven
and I found a Lapwing with two tiny young from the hide but there was still no
sign of the Bar-tailed Godwit and I returned and joined the others.
We called at Snipe Hide on the
way back to the centre but saw nothing of any note on either the Wet meadow or
Lagoon One. It was now very pleasant,
particularly in the warm sun as we made our way back and had our lunch.
Chiffchaff
After lunch, we went to the
North Arm in David’s car and heard our only Whitethroat on route.
When we arrived in the North
Arm it was overcast and felt considerably colder and we didn’t see too much
either and so we returned to the Egleton car park.
We went into the centre but
didn’t see a great deal, although I noticed that there were more terns in South
Arm Three and so we headed for Lapwing hide again. As we walked down towards the northern
lagoons we had a Great Spotted Woodpecker but we didn’t see a great deal else.
As we opened the flap in
Lapwing Hide we realised that the terns were mainly Black Terns and I counted
twenty-two, although the others thought that there were more I couldn’t get
more than twenty-two. They were quite
close to the hide and allowed a great photo opportunity and David, Malcolm and
I took quite a few shots before we departed.
Black Tern
Black Tern
Black Tern
Black Tern
Black Tern
Black Tern
Black Tern
Malcolm and I called in
Shoveler Hide before moving back to Sandpiper Hide on Lagoon Four but we didn’t
see anything different than earlier.
Although I watched the pair of Avocets in an altercation with an
Oystercatcher that was getting too close to their nest. The dispute lasted for at least twenty
minutes before the Oystercatcher moved away and one of the Avocets went back to
the nest.
Ken went off to try and see
the Nightingale near Bittern Hide and David had left to try and see the Ruddy
Duck on Lagoon Two before Malcolm and I set off back to the car park. We hadn’t heard from David regarding the
Ruddy Duck but called into the hide to look for the Ruddy. A Red Kite and an Osprey were observed over
the lagoon and shortly afterwards Malcolm found the Ruddy Duck, which appeared
to be keeping close to a drake Pochard.
It followed the Pochard around for quite some time before eventually
starting to dive and feed. We called Ken
who was still on site and he managed to get back and see it and although he had
heard the Nightingale it hadn't shown.
Female Ruddy Duck
Osprey and Red Kite over Lagoon Two
Osprey
Red Kite
After a coffee in the car park
Malcolm and I went back to Sandpiper Hide on Lagoon Four. We didn’t get the hoped-for arrival of waders
but there was quite some disturbance whilst we were in the hide. On the first occasion, all we could find was
a Kestrel but it was hard to believe it would have caused such panic. A few minutes later it happened again and
this time Malcolm picked up a Peregrine high above on the lagoon and on a third
occasion a Sparrowhawk flew over the lagoon.
Sparrowhawk
Erik called again a few
minutes later to say that there was a female-type Marsh Harrier over Lagoon One
and I agreed to meet him at the gate overlooking the lagoon. There was no sign when I arrived and when
Erik joined me he said it had gone behind the centre heading south. We scanned the far side of the lagoon hoping
it might feed on the far side but after about ten minutes with no sign I called
it a day. However just as I was about to
walk back to the car park a bird drifted into view from behind the centre and
on raising the bins I found it was the Marsh Harrier. It then disappeared behind the centre again
but reappeared a few seconds later and passed right in front of us heading off
towards lagoon three.
Marsh Harrier
It had been an excellent days
birding during which I had recorded ninety species eighty-eight of which had
been at Rutland Water with both Marsh Harrier and Ruff being new county
year-ticks. Seeing a Weasel and getting
excellent photos of Black Terns and the Nightingale also made it a memorable
day.
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