Saturday 21 October 2017

A day in West Norfolk - October 19, 2017

Surprisingly I was back in Norfolk today with David and Malcolm as there had been several good birds found yesterday after I had left and as the wind was still easterly there would be a chance of new birds being found.

We called at Burnham Overy Staithe to see if either of the two scarce geese were there and although there was still plenty of Greylags there were far fewer Pink-footed Geese visible from the road.  The two Barnacle Geese were still there along several of Egyptian Geese.


From Burnham we made our way to Wells Wood as we were hoping a Red-breasted Flycatcher seen there yesterday would still be there.  We saw a couple of Jays in the car park and we had another as we walked down the track.  Four Siskin flew over and there were three Swallows hawking over the area and a little further on there was a Great Spotted Woodpecker calling from the top of birch tree.  There was a gathering of birders assembled along a footpath off to the left of the main path and apparently it was where the flycatcher was yesterday.  When we reached them, we found out they had been watching a Yellow-browed Warbler and that the flycatcher hadn’t been seen and was only seen by the finder yesterday.  We saw the Yellow-browed Warbler several times whilst we were there, but it was quite mobile and was tending to keep to the top of the trees, where most of the leaves remained and consequently it didn’t show very well.  A Kingfisher flew over whilst we were trying to see the Yellow-browed Warbler.

Another group of birders informed us that yesterday’s Black Redstart was still at Cley, so we decided we head off as we had only paid for two hours parking at Wells and had already been there over an hour.  We checked the estuary from the top of the sea wall before leaving where we found a party of Brent Geese, several Oystercatchers, two Redshank and a Turnstone.

I had received news that a long-staying Cattle Egret was still with cattle on the east side of Stiffkey where it is not easy to park but we managed to slow down sufficiently to see it amongst the cattle.

We had received a message that a Dusky Warbler had been ringed and released in the fisherman’s car park at Stanford Reservoir, which is in Leicestershire.  I called Roger to inform him, but he was already aware and had also seen the Black Redstart at Cley.  It turned out that the Dusky Warbler was trapped on the Northamptonshire side of the reservoir and then released in the car park to give local birders a chance of seeing it and so I didn’t see how it could be added to the Leicestershire list.

When we arrived at Cley the Black Redstart was on the thatched roof of Cley Spy and we got good views by going through the visitor’s centre and viewing the roof from just a few meters away.  Unfortunately, a Grey Phalarope present earlier had disappeared and there wasn’t a great deal else with just a few Ruff, Black-tailed Godwits and a Curlew visible on the marsh.


Black Redstarrt


Black Redstart

There was news of a Radde’s Warbler at the western end of Holkham Pines and as it was a lifer for Malcolm we decided to give it a go but had our lunch first at Cley.  Steve and Terry were also in Norfolk today and joined us for lunch when we had a single Marsh Harrier but very little else.

We decided to park at Burnham Overy Staithe and walk to the Holkham Pines from there as the car park charges at Holkham are a little steep and the extra walk would be more beneficial both in terms of fitness and possibly birds.

As we walked out towards the dunes we stopped to view the tidal creek where we found three Ringed Plovers, a Grey Plover, three Knot, four Dunlin and a few Curlew and Redshank.  There were plenty of Pink-footed Geese on the meadows along with Greylag Geese but not a lot else.  When we reached the dunes, there were a couple of Stonechats on the fence and after viewing them we walked east through the dunes to reach the pines.  We saw another three Stonechats and a Wheatear before we reached the pines and an area of bushes just west of the pines was alive with thrushes.  There had been several Ring Ouzels reported but all we saw were Blackbirds and Redwings.  A Red Kite was also observed over the dunes and there were at least three Kestrels hunting over the fields and the dunes.


Pink-footed Geese


Pink-footed Geese


Red Kite


Red Kite

David had gone on ahead of Malcolm and I and called to say he had a Fieldfare feeding in a field from the gate so I went and joined him.  The Fieldfare was still in the field and I managed to get on it just before it flew off with a party of Redwing.  David then continued onto the Radde’s site, although we had heard that it hadn’t been seen since the initial sighting.  Malcolm then joined me and a short while afterwards David returned when I picked up another Fieldfare and a Marsh Harrier and three Brambling flew over but there was no sign of any of the reported Ring Ouzels.

Whilst we were stood at the gate it was clear that there were plenty of thrushes coming in and we must have seen several hundred Redwings whilst on site and good numbers of Blackbirds.  We didn’t see too much else as we made our way back, two Buzzards and a Chiffchaff being the best, and a visit to the beach to have a look on the sea wasn’t too productive.  The sea like it had been earlier in the week was still very quiet and I saw just four Gannets, although both David and Malcolm also had a Red-throated Diver.

The geese were being disturbed by a tractor when we walked back and the call of Pink-footed Geese in flight is quite evocative and one of my favourite winter spectacles.  As we approached the last field there were five Red-legged Partridges quite close, but all the geese had moved.  Whilst having a coffee back at the car David thought he heard a Grey Partridge call and they then called again and this time I heard them and before I could finish the coffee Malcolm said they are flying right.  I put the coffee down and scanned the field seeing two at the top of the ridge but was surprised when Malcolm said he had eight in flight but then one of the two I could see also disappeared, leaving just one that appeared to be the lookout.  These birds appear to be getting more and more difficult to locate and this was my first sighting since May when I saw two at Rutland Water.


Pink-footed Geese


Pink-footed Goose


Pink-footed Geese

Perhaps not the day we had hoped for but with Black Redstart a year-tick and eighty-two species recorded not bad and it is always nice to see flocks of Redwing arriving.

A short break in West Norfolk - October 15 - 18, 2017

It is half term in Leicestershire & Rutland and with the family away in Spain my wife and I had booked three nights at Briarfield’s in Titchwell and were on the road by 09:25 heading for West Norfolk.  It was quite misty when we left home, which did clear somewhat on route and we arrived at the RSPB Reserve at Titchwell at around 12:00.  However, we found the car park full and therefore went to Briarfield's just to park but found that the room was ready and so unpacked before going for a walk to the reserve.  There is a footpath from the hotel onto the Autumn Trail and from there we walked around to the centre.

From the centre we walked along the west bank to the sea seeing a nice male Marsh Harrier over the reedbed and a female-type over Thornham Marsh.  There was a good selection of waders on the Freshwater Marsh with two Avocets, a Knot and two Little Stints being the highlights.  There were also Dunlin, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit and Redshank and a Turnstone was observed on Volunteer Marsh.

When we reached the sea, it was quiet with just two Common Scoter and a couple of Great Crested Grebes being observed on the sea with only a few waders on the beach due to the tide being quite high.  I did find several Oystercatchers, three Sanderling and two Bar-tailed Godwits but there was very little else.  As we walked back I saw a single Pintail in flight, a Rock Pipit on the Freshwater Marsh and along the Autumn Trail there were two Swallows hawking over one of the tall trees and we got back to the hotel at 16:05.

I drove back to the reserve at around 17:15 and walked out onto the west bank, seeing two House Martin over the car park, but didn’t go out to the sea again spending until around 18:30 observing from the bank.  I had a Greenshank fly in and there were now noticeably more Ruff on the Freshwater Marsh and I counted ninety-eight.  I had at least eight Marsh Harriers over the reedbed, including a single male and I saw sixteen Little Egrets go to roost in the wood beyond the Autumn Trail.  As I made a final scan over Thornham Marsh I picked up another harrier and realised it was a male Hen Harrier and managed to get the scope on it before it disappeared, which was a fitting end to the day.

I was back on the reserve at 06:45 with dawn just breaking where there was a light south-west wind, although hurricane Ophelia, which had caused so much devastation in the Caribbean would be having an impact latter.  It was barely light as I headed off down the west bank from where I heard a Tawny Owl calling back towards the centre and a Water Rail called but only once.  There were several Marsh Harriers over the reedbed area and gulls were streaming out from their roost.

When I eventually reached the sea, it was again very quiet, although there were more waders on the falling tide that included, Oystercatchers, ten Knot; twelve Sanderling, forty-eight Bar-tailed Godwit and a Turnstone.  Two Common Scoter on the sea were presumably those I had seen yesterday and there were at least four Great Crested Grebes.  A party of four ducks were observed in flight with one dropping onto the sea, which I was then able to identify as a Long-tailed Duck but the other three remained unidentified.

On the walk back there was a Turnstone on the Volunteer Marsh and five Avocets, two Little Stints, thirty-eight Dunlin, 128 Ruff and c.200 Black-tailed Godwits on the Freshwater Marsh.

After breakfasting we went to Burnham Overy Staithe for a walk and went from the road along the footpath to the sea and then walked back again.  Before we set off I checked the geese in the first field hoping that either the Taiga Bean Goose or Greenland White-fronted Goose would be amongst the Greylag and Pink-footed Geese but there was no sign, so we then walked down the path towards the sea wall.  We didn’t see a great deal and on reaching the beach all I could find were seven Gannet, an Oystercatcher and a Curlew.  As we walked back I found a single Little Egret on the marsh and four Stonechats on the saltmarsh side of the wall and then a fifth near where the Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler was in September.


Burnham Overy Staithe


The beach


Gun Hill


Holkham Marsh


Pink-footed Geese

The sun had come out during or walk to the beach and even though the wind had increased significantly it still felt very warm when we got back to the car.  A quick scan towards Holkham Pines produced a Red Kite and a Buzzard.

From Burnham Overy Staithe we went to Burnham Market and after a walk around the shops and a coffee we went to Hunstanton where the wind was quite fresh as the remnants of Hurricane Ophelia was having an effect with the sun turning red and eventually disappearing when it turned quite gloomy.

When we got back to the hotel I walked to Titchwell in what were still gloomy conditions and after checking unsuccessfully for a Brambling I went along the west bank.  There were several thousand gulls already assembled on the Freshwater Marsh and I counted twenty Marsh Harriers, seven over Thornham Marsh, seven over the Freshwater Marsh and another six just east of the reserve.  It was eerily quiet with most birds becoming silent, obviously disoriented by the effects of Ophelia.  I went into Island Hide to get out of the wind and found the wind had pushed the water into the northeast corner exposing new areas of mud, which some waders particularly Dunlin were exploiting.  I counted 128 Ruff and there were over 200 Black-tailed Godwits on the lagoon, but I couldn’t find the little Stints I had seen earlier.  Another birder then indicated that he had some Bearded Tit, which was quite a surprise considering the wind.  I scoped the reeds in front of the hide and found two feeding right at the base of the reeds and clearly sheltered from the wind.  They remained in view for a few minutes allowing all present in the hide to find them.

I eventually made my way back towards the hotel and had twenty-six Little Egret flying around the trees that they appear to roost, but the dull conditions had now been replaced by bright sunshine and they appeared not to know whether to go to roost or not and there were also fewer Marsh Harrier in evidence.

When I got back to the hotel the wind was at its worse and it was now noticeably cooler.

Another early morning visit to Titchwell on the 17th when it was still very windy but at least dry.  I went straight out to the beach but found the sea was again very quiet, but I did have three Razorbill fly west, which were my first of the year, and a single Gannet.  There were a few waders on the beach including several Oystercatcher, a Grey Plover, five Knot, thirty-six Sanderling, seventy-six Bar-tailed Godwits and nine Turnstone.  There were 120 Ruff and 123 Black-tailed Godwits on the Freshwater Marsh along with thirty Dunlin but there was no sign of any Little Stints, although I did have my first Ringed Plovers of the week on Volunteer Marsh.

After breakfast I went to Holt with my wife and spent the morning walking around the shops before having a coffee and making our way back.

When we got back we walked to the Titchwell Visitor’s centre and I then spent twenty minutes looking unsuccessfully for a Brambling, which Roger, who only arrived today had seen.  We walked back to the hotel seeing a couple of Red-legged Partridge and I then drove to the reserve and met up with Roger.

I found out that he had seen the Brambling on the front feeders, so we had a look before going along the west bank.  The Brambling appeared after a few minutes and it looks as though I had been given some duff information as to where it was.  The wind had now dropped considerably and the water in the Freshwater Marsh had relevelled and we found a single Little Stint but nothing else of note I hadn’t seen during my earlier visits and so we continued to the sea.  The sea was still very quiet with nothing new and there were very few waders along the shore.

We went back along the west bank to view the reedbed where we had eight Marsh Harrier and noted twenty Little Egrets going into roost and had three Swallows fly over before we returned to our cars.

When I got back to the hotel I walked to the footpath leading to the reserve to view the field, which looked suitable for a Barn Owl and I didn’t have to wait too long before one appeared, although unfortunately it disappeared again quite quickly.

The forecast for this morning, the 18th, wasn’t good but although it had rained overnight it was now dry and I went for another visit to Titchwell.  Yesterday it was forecasting northeast winds and I was hoping the sea might liven up, but the wind was easterly, and the sea was again quiet.  There were lots more Common Scoter but except for three the rest were out towards the wind turbines and other than a few Great Crested Grebes I just had one Red-throated Diver fly east.  The tide had just turned, and waders were increasing whilst I stood on the beach and I saw Oystercatchers, a Grey Plover, two Knot, eight Sanderling, forty-one Bar-tailed Godwits and twelve Turnstone.

As I walked back there were another thirteen Grey Plover on the Tidal Marsh along with a few Black-tailed Godwits and Redshank.  Volunteer Marsh was still mainly covered but water was flowing out fast and a several Redshank were taking the opportunity to feed.

On the Freshwater Marsh I had four Avocets, five Golden Plover, two Little Stints, sixteen Dunlin, 120 Ruff and sixty-eight Black-tailed Godwit and I had counted fifty-eight Curlew flying off after roosting earlier and had seen at least twenty-three Little Egrets with most leaving the roosting site.

After breakfast I went to Burnham Overy Staithe to see if either of the scarce geese were there.  There were plenty of geese mainly Pink-footed and Greylag Geese but also two Barnacle Geese and forty-two Egyptian Geese.  I drove further along the road to find most of Pink-footed Geese were in the field to the east where it is impossible to park safely and so returned to Titchwell for a coffee before setting off home.

As were walking down to the centre another birder informed me that there were two Yellow-browed Warblers showing and calling well in the coach park.  Sandra went on to get the coffees whilst I went back to have a look for the Yellow-browed Warblers but there was no sign and I went back for my coffee.  I called Roger to make him aware of the warblers as he was at Titchwell but on the beach.  Whilst having my coffee I had a chat with a guy who does the moth trap at Titchwell, which should have been put out last night but wasn’t.  He had found and potted several moths he had found around the lights that included three firsts for me, which were Green-brindled Crescent, Large Wainscot and The Chestnut.

After my coffee I went back to the car and found a crowd watching something, which turned out to be one of the Yellow-browed Warblers, which I then saw quite well before it was lost again.

An early morning in Wigston Magna, Leicestershire - October 15, 2017

I put the moth trap out last night and trapped and identified nineteen moths covering just nine species, one of which was new for the year.

The following were recorded: Carcina quercana [1]; Amblyptilia acanthadactyla [1]; Light Brown Apple Moth [7]; Hypsopygia glaucinalis [1]; Red-green Carpet [5]; Beaded Chestnut [1]; Blair's Shoulder-knot [1]; Black Rustic [4] and Lesser Yellow Underwing [1].

A twitch to Pwll-du, Gwent - October 14, 2017

David, Malcom, Roger and I set off for Pwll-du in south Wales to hopefully connect with a Common Rock Thrush, which would be a lifer for David, Malcolm and Roger and only my second in the UK, the first being Kent in March 1973.

We stopped at Strensham Services on the M5 for a comfort break when we received news that it hadn’t been seen.  A discussion the followed and we decided to head for Symonds Yat as it was still heading in the right direction and if it was seen we could easily continue from there.  However, before we set off Malcolm received another message indicating that it was still there and so we continued on to Pwell-du.


We arrived on site just after 10:00 and then walked along a footpath to the where the bird was being seen.  Several people on route informed us that it was still showing but when we were almost there the crowd suddenly moved and it had obviously just flown.  It hadn’t gone too far and was now perched at the side of the path and I was able to get some shots before it flew into a quarry and disappeared.


Common Rock Thrush


Common  Rock Thrush

It wasn’t long before it was relocated, and we had some excellent views as it fed amongst the rocks of the quarry before it flew up and over the top of the quarry and disappeared out of sight.  We hung around for about ten minutes but as it hadn’t returned we started to walk back to the car.  It always amazes me on how birds our located in such remote places, but I suspect that the area might be good during migration as we also had a couple of Wheatear.  As we walked back we had a single Red Kite and a Buzzard before reaching the car and a Raven when back at the car.


Common Rock Thrush


Common Rock Thrush

We decided that we would try and locate a Dipper before heading back and possibly calling at Symonds Yat.  David was navigating, and we continued along the road, which became quite narrow with a rather steep edge to the left of the road.  Thankfully we only met a few cyclists before getting well down the road.  We eventually reached Govilon and stopped in the village to view a small stream, which is called Cwm-Shenkin Brook.  We had a Grey Wagtail before I got out of the car that perched on one of the house roofs.  When we got to the bridge it looked quite suitable downstream but there was no sign of anything else.  David then decides he would go and have a look on the other side of the main road and called to say he had seen another Grey Wagtail and a few minute later he gestured for us to join him.  As we crossed the road it became clear that there was a Dipper and it was just sitting on some rocks just a few metres away from a bridge over the stream.  Malcolm went back to the car and brought the cameras, expecting it would be gone before he got back.  However, it was still there and remained for most of our stop and although the light wasn’t brilliant I got some rather nice shots of the bird.


Dipper


Dipper


Dipper


Dipper


Dipper


Dipper

We also had a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Coal Tit, two Mistle Thrush and another Grey Wagtail during our brief stop.

Pleased with our find we headed off to Symonds Yat and after eventually finding the viewpoint car park and a space we had our lunch before going up to the viewpoint.  The car park was quite full, particularly as it was a weak day, and on reaching the viewpoint there were quite a few people.  David pointed out where the Peregrine breed but the there wasn’t anything on the rock face.  Another birder then indicted that one of the birds was sitting in a tree to our right, although it was quite difficult to locate but we all eventually managed to get on it.  It didn’t look a particularly large bird and presumably it was the male and it remained in the tree the whole time we were there, but we didn’t see a second bird.

From the viewpoint there is a good of the countryside into Herefordshire with the River Wye running in the bottom of the valley.  A few Redwing flew over and we saw three Mandarin in flight over the river but generally it was quiet.  An accipiter was then picked up to the north along with a Buzzard, but I only saw it through my bins before it dropped out of sight but both David and Roger considered it to be a Goshawk.  Shortly afterwards another accipiter was observed to the south-east which initially I thought might be a Sparrowhawk but as it turned and drifted back the wings were noticeably broad and the white under-tail coverts really stood out and I was happy that it was a Goshawk.  Two Raven then flew over just before we departed for home.

Friday 13 October 2017

A day in Lincolnshire & Rutland - October 12, 2017

David, Roger and I had agreed to go out locally today but on reaching David’s he suggested that we either go to Frampton or Titchwell and we decided on Frampton.  David was driving and we headed off seeing a Kestrel just after passing through Frisby and then a Red Kite from the A47 near Morcott.  I then saw a couple of Little Egrets stood in a ploughed field near Market Deeping and another Kestrel near Hop Pole and then a Jay and a Red-legged Partridge after passing through Frampton village.

It was 09:00 when we pulled into the car park at Frampton Marsh and after getting our gear ready we set off for the 360 Hide.  There was a single Tree Sparrow amongst a party of House Sparrow and Goldfinch near the feeding station and as we walked along the path there was a Kestrel hovering near the path to the hides.  As we went through the gate a Snipe and then a Little Egret flew over and a Black-tailed Godwit flew over just as we turned along the path to the hide.

There was a nice selection of waders from the hide that included twelve Ringed Plover, eleven Little Stint, two Curlew Sandpiper and sixty-eight Dunlin.  As we scanned a little further afield David found a single Bar-tailed Godwit and there were twenty-two Black-tailed Godwits scattered around the area.  I was surprised we hadn’t seen any Ruff but Roger than found one and there was a second nearby.  There were plenty of wildfowl on the scrape that included a few Brent Geese, several Shelduck, lots of Wigeon and smaller numbers of Teal, Mallard and Shoveler.

We left the 360 Hide and started to walk towards the East Hide and sixteen Ruff flew over and there were three Little Egrets in the corner of the marsh.  We could see plenty more Brent Geese flying over the marsh and David then noticed a group of waders in a field to the east of the reserve that turned out to be a mixture of Lapwing and Golden Plover.  There were far more Golden Plovers than Lapwing and we estimated there were at least 300.  A Marsh Harrier was then seen above the sea wall, which was being mobbed by several corvids and there were four more Little Egrets as we turned along the path to East Hide. 

It felt rather cold looking out of the flaps of the hide and as we weren’t finding anything new we soon moved out of the hide and went onto the sea wall.  A Snipe flew over and just after walking through a party of grazing cows a flock of Starling appeared and we then noticed a Merlin, that was quite close, amongst them.  It flew away from us towards the river and appeared to land in a small bush but on scoping the bush we couldn’t find and presumably it had gone behind the bush and dropped behind the bank.  This was mine and Roger’s first Merlin of the year but it wasn’t too long afterwards when we saw it or another over the saltmarsh.

After passing through the cows again and walking south along the wall we found more waders feeding on the fresh marsh side of the wall.  One of the first birds we noticed was a Spotted Redshank amongst several Black-tailed Godwit.  There were also plenty of Dunlin and whilst scanning I found a Grey Plover and then David thought he had seen a second but we couldn’t find it.  All the birds then took to flight and we had two Grey Plover flying and calling and after the birds had settled we found a second Spotted Redshank.  We had heard a Greenshank call just after arriving and on hearing one again found two amongst a party of Dunlin and David then found a third on another pool.  I then picked four swans in flight and although they were flying away from us both Roger and I thought we could see a yellow on the bill on one of the birds and two of the birds looked a little grey and their size indicating that they were Whooper Swans.  There were hundreds of Brent Geese on the saltmarsh and other than the Merlin we also had another Marsh Harrier and two more Kestrels and there were two Buzzards soaring towards Boston.

As we walked back along the track to the centre Roger found a Barnacle Goose but we hadn’t seen anything else of note when we reached the centre.  We checked the board as to what had been reported but other than a Peregrine there wasn't anything we hadn’t seen and in fact we added more to the list.

After a bite to east we set off back to Rutland Water seeing a Red Kite and Buzzard after Deeping St. Nicholas and a Kestrel a little further on.  We went to the fisherman’s car park to see if we could locate the Red-necked Grebe but with a fishing boat near the shore there was very little and we went to the Egleton car park.

After parking in the Egleton car park we were just about to set off for the northern lagoons when I received a notification and on checking it indicated that the Cattle Egret was on the bund in the North Arm.  We got back into the car and drove down to the end of the unnamed road.  On getting out of the car we could see an egret on the far side of the bund and on checking it with the scope confirmed that it was the Cattle Egret.  Andy and Roger Brett then joined us and they had found it and got the news out.  They hadn’t seen anything else other than a Great White Egret and Greenshank and we found the Greenshank on the far shore and there was a Barnacle Goose amongst the other geese on the spit.  The Cattle Egret then flew and dropped out of sight in the field where there were a few sheep.

We returned to the Egleton car park and then went to Shoveler Hide on Lagoon Three hoping for a Bittern or Water Rail.  As we had a chat with Lloyd there was a Sparrowhawk flying high over Lagoon One and a brief stop at one of the meadows produced a Song Thrush, two Redwing and a female Bullfinch.

When we reached the hide another birder had seen a Marsh Harrier but nothing else.  David then found a Redshank to the left of the hide and there was a Little Egret on the edge of the reeds beyond the first near reedbed.  We then had two Red Kite and a Buzzard over Burley and a Pintail paid a brief visit.  The juvenile Marsh Harrier then returned and performed for several minutes over the reedbed.

A short visit to the viewing gallery in the centre produced a Pintail, Great White Egret, and a Curlew.

It had been a good day with eighty-two species recorded with the Merlin being a year-tick and the Cattle Egret a county year-tick.

Wednesday 11 October 2017

A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - October 10, 2017

When I left home, it was beginning to get light and was still quite dreary and overcast with a fresh south-west wind when I reached Eyebrook Reservoir.  Surprisingly I had seen two Red Kites, a Buzzard and two Kestrels on route but I only saw a couple of Red-legged Partridges, perhaps indicating that there had been a shoot.

I stopped at the entrance gate at Eyebrook Reservoir seeing only a few Red-legged Partridge and a stop at the island coral produced just a couple of Little Egrets.  There were still good numbers of Red-legged Partridge at Holyoaks and when I reached the northern coral, Malcolm was about to move off but he came back into the coral with me.


There were four Dunlin and a couple of Ruff on the exposed mud but there appeared to be fewer birds around the inlet today, mainly Teal and Lapwing and surprisingly no gulls.  Malcolm then picked up a male Stonechat that would have provided some excellent photo opportunities if the light hadn’t been so bad.  The Lapwings were rather skittish and flew on several occasions and on one were joined by seven Ruff and then a Sparrowhawk flew by, which was obviously the reason they were so nervous.  There were two Shelduck in the steam and we had at least three Red Kites on the Rutland side of the reservoir.  On scanning through the wildfowl, I found six Pintail and counted twenty-nine Shoveler.

As Malcolm hadn’t seen the Little Owls when he arrived we went to the bridge over the inlet stream.  There wasn’t too much in evidence but we did find a single Tree Sparrow and four Yellowhammers before we moved further around to view the inlet from the Rutland bank.

There were now more birds around the inlet, including numerous Black-headed and Common Gulls and six Golden Plovers flew over and just afterwards Malcolm found three on the mud.  Behind us there were three Red Kites and a Buzzard and I found a Raven being harassed by other corvids over the Leicestershire fields.  Two Ravens then flew over and we had a small party of Skylarks and several Meadow Pipits pass over.

We eventually headed for Rutland Water and specifically Sailing Club Bay where I thought Tim had seen a couple of Common Terns during the Sunday wildfowl count.  There was no sign of the Common Terns but we did find a single Redshank but I later found out that the terns were seen in the fisherman’s harbour and not the bay.  However, Steve and Terry were looking in the right place and there was no sign there either.

Malcolm and I moved to Teal Hide on the Lyndon Reserve where we found three Great White Egret, one at the base of Lax Hill near Goldeneye Hide and the other two close to Heron Bay.  The feeders were empty and the only bird present was a single Greenfinch that was trying to extract the last seeds from the feeders.

From Lyndon we drove around to the North Arm where we found a single Barnacle Goose amongst the fast flock of Greylag and Canada Geese resting on the far spit.  We checked out the southern bay but found nothing of note but on returning to view the northern section Malcolm found a single Greenshank on the far shore and a Yellow-legged Gull was located further along the shore.  Burley Wood was quiet but we did eventually have a Red Kite and at least two Buzzards.

There were plenty of birds in the fishponds but other than three Pochard and several Little Grebes there was nothing of note.  We checked the feeders at the cottage and found Blue and Great Tits visiting regularly along with a single Coal Tit and a Nuthatch.

After some lunch we went into the centre to view Lagoon One where there were masses of Tufted Duck and probably more than I counted on Sunday.  Amongst the Tufted Duck there were small numbers of Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal and Mallard and I counted eleven Pintail.  Steve and Terry had joined us and Terry found a male Stonechat near Mallard Hide and suspected there might be a second bird, which Steve then confirmed when he saw a female.  I then found a Snipe on one of the distant island and between us we eventually found six.

Malcolm and I set off for the northern lagoons and bumped into Andy Howes who informed us that one of the American Wigeons was on Lagoon Two and that he had found the other on Lagoon Four.  He then gave a description of the bird on Lagoon Four, which didn’t show the cream blaze on the crown and we suggested that it was probably just a female Wigeon as both males were now apparently well advanced into breeding plumage.

We moved on to Grebe Hide where we were hoping to see one of the drake American Wigeons.  As we appeached the hide Malcolm fortunately saw a rather neat caterpillar moving across the path.  I suspected that it would be a moth of some kind and we both took a few photos of it.  I viewed an app on my phone and was able to identify the caterpillar as a Pale Tussock.


Pale Tussock caterpillar 


Pale Tussock caterpillar

When we entered the hide we found it quite full but the American Wigeon was on view.  I managed to get my scope up alongside Norman and had some nice views of the now breeding plumage American Wigeon.  There was also eighteen Pintail amongst the mass of Wigeon.

We moved onto Shoveler Hide on Lagoon Three were we found Terry but he hadn’t seen a great deal, two Goldeneye and a Marsh Harrier being the best.  The Goldeneye were still present but the harrier had moved off to the south.  There weren’t too many ducks on the lagoon but I did find three Pintail and four Pochard and a Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk were seen over the wood.  Malcolm and I spent some considerable amount of time in the hide hoping for either a Bittern or a Water Rail but neither materialised and we eventually gave up and went to Dunlin Hide on Lagoon Four.

There was a party of Wigeon feeding on the bund but it was difficult getting a good look at them as a hut next to the hide blocks the view to the far corner.  They did fly onto the water on one occasion where we were pretty sure we could see most of the birds but we were unable to locate a second American Wigeon.  There were plenty of Black-headed and Common Gulls with smaller numbers of Lesser and Great Black-backed Gulls and single Herring and Yellow-legged Gulls.  There was little else on the lagoon just a few Egyptian Geese, a single Pintail and a Little Egret.

With not much happening we walked back to the car park and whilst having a coffee four Swallows flew over but headed off south before Malcom was able to see them.  I spoke to Steve before I left and he was in Shoveler Hide and had seen a Water Rail just in front of the hide and a Peregrine fly over.

An early morning in Wigston Magna, Leicestershire - October 9, 2017

I put the moth trap out last night and trapped and identified twenty-two moths covering ten species, two of which were new for the year.


The following were recorded: Light Brown Apple Moth [5]; Red-green Carpet [3]; November Moth [2]; Silver Y [1]; Lunar Underwing [1]; Black Rustic [2]; Common Wainscot [1]; Large Yellow Underwing [2]; Lesser Yellow Underwing [4] and Setaceous Hebrew Character [1].

A morning at Rutland Water, Rutland - October 8, 2017

I was back at Rutland Water this morning to help with the WeBS Count and counted South Arm Three, Lagoon One and the Wet Meadow with Joe.  Before starting the count, I saw a single Chiffchaff in the hedgerow close to the Volunteer’s Training Centre.

We started off in South Arm Three where there was some disturbance from fisherman and many of the Tufted Duck flew off and looked at as though they came down on Lagoon One.  There were ten Little Egrets in the arm along with a single Great White Egret but the only other bird of note was a Kingfisher.


When we arrived in the centre we could see that at least some of the Tufted Duck had dropped onto the lagoon and I counted over 1400, whilst Joe mopped up the rest of the species but sixteen Pintail and another Great White Egret were the only birds of note.

We moved to Mallard Hide to continue the count as it wasn’t easy counting the birds on the long island due the bright sunlight.  The light was slightly better here but we didn’t have anything of note and moved onto Snipe Hide on the Wet Meadow.

From Snipe Hide we could see the back of the long island and added more but only four Snipe were noteworthy and there was just a few Teal on the Wet Meadow.

Finally, we went to Harrier Hide to complete the count on both Lagoon One and the Wet Meadow where there was a single Little Egret and four Buzzards circling between us and Burley.  As we walked back we had another Buzzard and heard a Curlew and another visit to Mallard Hide allowed us to identify a duck we had struggled with earlier, which turned out to be just a Teal and there we saw a female Marsh Harrier from the centre.

After getting back to the Visitor's Centre I walked back to the Volunteer’s Training Centre but didn’t see a great deal and after a chat with some of the counters and a coffee I headed off home.  I had a Red Kite near Egleton and three Little Egrets on Wistow Pool as I drove home.

A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - October 7, 2017

When Roger and I left for Eyebrook Reservoir this morning it was rather dull and overcast with a brisk westerly wind.  We didn’t see a great deal on route, except for thirty plus Red-legged Partridge as we drove along Stockerston Lane towards the southern approach road to the reservoir.

We parked near the gate to the fishing lodge finding more Red-legged Partridges in the field to the north and three Red Kites over the hills further to the north.  As we drove around to the reservoir to the island coral there was a Little Egret in the first bay and as we pulled up at the coral there was a party of tits in the hedgerow that contained both Blue and Long-tailed Tits.


From the coral there was a party of gulls on the spit that contained quite a few Herring Gulls and a single Great Black-backed Gull.  There was also a Ruff and a couple of Shoveler amongst the more numerous Mallard.

A brief stop at the entrance to Holyoaks Farm produced yet more Red-legged Partridge and a single Buzzard on the ground.  At our next stop, the northern coral there were plenty of Teal, Lapwing, Black-headed and Common Gulls and a single Yellow-legged Gull around the inlet and we found a Ringed Plover, four Dunlin and six Ruff and a Greenshank along the Rutland shoreline.  Roger found a male Stonechat in the grasses along the Rutland side of the reservoir and after some disturbance three Shelduck flew out of the stream onto the reservoir.  Scanning the reservoir there were good numbers of Wigeon, Gadwall and Mallard and we picked out six Pintail and I counted forty-seven Shoveler and just before we moved a small party of Pochard in flight contained a single Tufted Duck.  There were two Buzzards and a Red Kite over Stoke Dry Wood and two more Red Kites over the Rutland fields and another Buzzard between the coral and Stoke Dry Wood.

We drove towards Stockerston before turning to view the old oak but there was no sign of the Little Owls.  As we returned to the reservoir there was a Kestrel over the fields east of the reservoir but we didn’t see a great deal else and set off for Rutland Water.  We hadn’t gone very far when I noticed a party of birds flying around, which I thought were Golden Plover.  On stopping I could confirm that there were fifteen Golden Plover flying low over the reservoir, which appeared to come down near the inlet.  Roger hadn’t seen them and so we reversed back to one of the gates to park.  However, we couldn't find the Golden Plover and presumably they had landed on the Rutland shore and out of sight.  We waited a while hoping they would fly again but they didn’t but the brief stop produced some visible migration that included Skylark, Meadow Pipits and two Swallows.

At Rutland Water we went to fisherman’s car park on the Hambleton Peninsular hoping to find the Red-necked Grebe in the North Arm.  Before we climbed over the gate to scan the arm two Jay flew over and we then scanned the arm for a good twenty minutes but with no sign of the Red-necked Grebe we returned to the car.  After climbing back over the gate, I noticed a bird quite close to the shore that turned out to be a female Goldeneye, which hadn’t noticed whilst scanning the arm.

We drove back along the peninsula and turned into the unnamed road to view the western end of the North Arm.  As we scanned the fishponds before moving through the gate another Jay was observed.  There was a Pintail, two Little Egrets and a Greenshank on the far shore but very little else and all we could find in the southern bay was a single juvenile Ringed Plover and sixteen Pochard.  Scanning Burley Wood produced just a single Red Kite and a brief stop at Tim’s feeders produced several Blue and Great Tits and a single Coal Tit and Nuthatch.

It was now approaching lunchtime and so we went to the Egleton car park and found a sheltered spot out of the wind.  After lunch we walked down to the centre and viewed the feeders, where a Marsh Tit made a brief visit, before going up into the viewing area to view Lagoon One.

Graham was having his lunch in the viewing area and Ricky joined us shortly afterwards.  I counted ten Pintail on the lagoon, there was a single Great White Egret at the back of the lagoon and two Curlew on the long island.  A Kingfisher then appeared briefly on the fence posts just in front of the centre and shortly afterwards I picked up one in flight that was being pursued by a second.  It had started to rain whilst we were in the centre but as it eased we all set off for the northern lagoons.

We stopped just beyond the small bridge to view the meadow, which was hadn’t been cut for the Birdfair.  There appeared to be quite a few birds in the hedgerows and we had at least two Song Thrushes, several Bullfinches and whilst watching a party of Goldfinch feeding on some Rosebay Willow Herb seeds at the back of the meadow I noticed that there were two Lesser Redpoll and eventually I found six before they all flew off.

We continued to Smew Hide on Lagoon Two and found one of the American Wigeon right in front of the hide.  It was now in almost full breeding plumage with no visible sign of any eclipse plumage.  There was also a seven Pintail, a Little Egret and another Great White Egret on the lagoon.

From Smew Hide we moved to Buzzard Hide on Lagoon Three where we could see a Green Sandpiper towards Bittern Hide but with little else we moved to Shoveler Hide.  From Shoveler Hide we found five Pintail, seven Pochard and there was a Black-tailed Godwit feeding to the left of the hide but there was no sign of the Green Sandpiper.  A then saw a Kestrel towards Lagoon Four and a female-type Marsh Harrier performed over the reedbed.  There was also a Little Egret and another Great White Egret flew in and Graham Ricky left shortly afterwards.  It wasn’t much after that Roger and I also gave up on the hoped-for Bittern and went to Dunlin Hide on Lagoon Four hoping to find the second American Wigeon.

When we arrived in the hide there were three other birders but they hadn’t seen the American Wigeon but there was yet another Great White Egret, which had apparently been there quite some time.  There were just six Pintail on the lagoon and the numbers appear to have decreased but it will be interesting to see how many our found in tomorrow’s WeBS Count.

We went back into the centre and joined Ricky in the viewing area who informed us that there were now two Great White Egrets and we found one at the back and another on the end of the long island.  It started raining rather heavily whilst we were in the centre but as soon as it eased we called it a day and headed back to the car.

An afternoon in Northwest Leicestershire - October 6, 2017

As it was such a wonderful day I decided I would visit Cropston Reservoir and Swithland Reservoirs this afternoon.  When I left home, it was quite warm in the afternoon sun and I arrived at Cropston Reservoir just after two-o’clock.

There wasn’t a great deal on the reservoir and no sign of the hoped for Mandarin Ducks.  There were a few Mallard and Great Crested Grebe on the water and a party of gulls on the far shore included Black-headed, Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gulls but other than five Little Egrets and five Grey Heron there was little else.


I parked on the road bridge at the southern end of Swithland Reservoir where there were more birds.  As I scanned the western shore I located fourteen male and eleven female Mandarin Duck and there was also Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Shoveler and Tufted Duck.  I just saw a single Little Egret but there were also a few Cormorant and Grey Herons around the edge.

The Great Central Railway appeared to be quite busy, particularly for a Friday, and I saw quite a few engines pass over the viaduct and managed to photograph two of them.


BR Standard 9F 2-10-0, 92214 Leicester City


SR West Country & Battle of Britain Class, 34081 92 Squadron

When I got around the other side I was surprised to find the Kinchley Lane was quite busy and clearly people had been at Rabbits Bridge photographing the steam locomotives.  When I reached the dam, I found Richard and another birder near the draw off tower and after parking I joined them.

They had seen a few Buzzards, two Peregrines and a Raven prior to my arrival but on scanning Buddon Wood there was nothing on view.  There were good numbers of Wigeon on the water and again there was also Gadwall, Mallard, Shoveler and Tufted Duck but in smaller numbers.

It wasn’t long before I saw the first of four Buzzards and shortly afterwards a Raven flew over but there was no sign of the Peregrines.  A Sparrowhawk, Kestrel and a Jay were also observed and I also heard a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Nuthatch before I departed.

Wednesday 4 October 2017

A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - October 3, 2017

David and I were out for a day’s local birding and headed for Eyebrook Reservoir.  We didn’t see anything of note on route but we pulled up behind Malcolm to view the old oak but there was no sign of the Little Owl.  We did have a Kestrel fly over as we searched for the owl and a Red Kite was observed at we moved on towards the reservoir.

We went along the Leicestershire side of the reservoir as far as the Holyoaks Farm entrance and then turned back and parked near the northern coral.  The annual shoot hadn’t yet started and our little excursion to Holyoaks produced over 100 Red-legged Partridge.  From the coral there were four Dunlin and three Ruff on the mud amongst the Lapwing and gulls and there were three Shelduck close by and a Little Egret on the Rutland shoreline.

We drove around to the Rutland side where we joined Malcolm who told us that he had found a Stonechat.  He gave David and I directions and we then found a pair, which although distant provided some nice views through the scope.  There was now a Yellow-legged Gull amongst the gulls, which we hadn’t seen from the Leicestershire side and Malcolm picked up a Snipe, which was flushed with another by a Kestrel.  As we scanned the wildfowl we found a couple of Pintail and a single Shoveler.  A distant Red Kite was then observed and we heard Golden Plover calling and picked two up as they circled above the reservoir before joining the Lapwing on the ground.  We moved further along the road to view the wildfowl but didn’t find anything unusual but did see a Buzzard on the Leicestershire side and another Red Kite over the Rutland fields.

We then agreed to meet in the Lyndon car park and David and I went across country, whilst Malcolm took the more direct route.  We made a couple of stops on route seeing two Treecreeper in the Lyndon church yard.

When we arrived in the car park, Malcolm was returning from viewing the feeders and indicated that he was now going to Luffenham to see if there were any Wheatears on the airfield.  David and I went to view the feeders but they were very quiet with just two Brown Rats in attendance.  We did see a single Tree Sparrow in the hedgerow before we moved down to Teal Hide.

As we scanned Manton Bay and the South Arm we found three Great White Egrets around Heron Bay along with a Little Egret.  There were masses of Coot both in Manton Bay and South Arm Two and good numbers of both Tufted Duck and Great Crested Grebe and there were over a hundred Cormorants on the bunds but the only other bird of note was a Yellow-legged Gull stood on the bund.  As we went back to the car there was more activity on the feeders and we had five Tree Sparrows as they flew back to the hedgerow but other than a few Blue Tits and Chaffinches there was nothing else in attendance.

We had agreed to meet Malcolm in the North Arm and as we drove up the hill from the reserve a Red Kite flew over and then we had another as we drove towards Manton and then a Buzzard alongside the A6003 at Gunthorpe.

When we parked along the unnamed road in the North Arm, Malcolm hadn’t yet got back from the airfield.  David and I scanned the north shore of the fishponds and found another Great White Egret along with a Little Egret close to the bund before going through the gate and heading towards the point.  David found a Greenshank on the north shore but with little else we moved into the field to view the spit.  There as a single Ringed Plover and a Dunlin on the shore and a party of twenty-six Pochard amongst the more numerous Tufted Ducks.

David had heard and seen a Chiffchaff in the hedgerow and I went and looked for it and saw it quite well as it fed in the hedge.  When I returned Malcom had arrived and we then spent some time looking for the Red-necked Grebe but only found another Little Egret.  Steve then called to see if I was on site and during our discussion he said that he and Terry had seen the Red-necked Grebe from the fisherman’s car park.

With still no sign of the grebe we went to Fisherman’s car park and after climbing over the gate began to scan the north arm.  It wasn’t long before Malcolm said I’ve got it and after providing directions we all had good views through the scope.

Steve had also mentioned that there was a small number of hirundines in the South Arm and so we went to the Old Hall hoping to see them.  David did have several briefly above the treeline but once they dropped we were unable to relocate them, despite moving our position.  During the time looking for the hirundines we did see a Great White Egret, which was presumably one of the three we saw earlier, three Little Egrets on Brown’s Island, a Buzzard over Lax Hill and a Red Kite, Sparrowhawk and two Kestrel over the Lyndon fields.

From the Old Hall we went to the Egleton car park for lunch, having a Jay fly across Church Road as we approached the village.  After lunch Malcolm suggested that we go to Lagoon Five as had seen both Whimbrel and Curlew there on Sunday.  We decided to go into the centre first to see what was in the book and to view Lagoon One.

There were five Curlew-type birds visible on the long island and we suspected that one might well be the Whimbrel but it had its head on its back.  Four were Curlew and whilst waiting for the fifth to raise its head I counted twenty-nine Pintail and found another Great White Egret.  The fifth bird did eventually raise its head and were able to confirm our original suspicions that it was a Whimbrel.  A Buzzard was then picked up at the back of the lagoon and proceeded to then fly over lagoon two and disappear behind the centre.

A Spotted Flycatcher had been reported near Grebe Hide on Lagoon Two but a visit to the hide and time spent looking or it outside the hide proved futile and we moved onto Dunlin Hide on Lagoon Four.

We had heard that the presumed second American Wigeon had been a little elusive this morning as it was hiding in the corner to the left of the hide.  However virtually the first bird I saw as I started to scan towards the western bund was the American Wigeon feeding along the water’s edge.  There was also a Ruff and a Dunlin on the end of island eight and shortly afterward Malcolm found a Little Stint with a Dunlin.  There were a couple of Yellow-legged Gulls on the exposed area of mud and a Herring Gull sitting between them.  There was also sixteen Pintail on the lagoon and David found a Greenshank.

We eventually moved off towards Shoveler Hide on Lagoon Three and had a Grey Wagtail fly over as we were approaching the gate to the track leading to the hide.  There was a single Green Sandpiper on the far side of the island in front of the hide and four more Pintail were feeding to the left and a couple of Pochard amongst the Tufted Duck.  A trip to Lapwing Hide didn’t produce anything of note, although a Little Egret was seen on Lagoon Two but we were unable to find the second American Wigeon.


Great Crested Grebe


Cormorant

A visit to Buzzard Hide on Lagoon Three produced a Red Kite, two Buzzard and a female-type Marsh Harrier and David found a female-type Goldeneye amongst a small party of Tufted Ducks.

When we went back into Shoveler Hide we found Steve and Terry in the hide and not long afterwards Steve announced he had a Garganey, which promptly disappeared behind and island before anyone else got on it.  It wasn’t too long before reappeared along with a Teal and we were all able to get good views of what was a juvenile female.

Steve and Terry had seen three Little Stints on Lagoon Four and so we went to Sandpiper Hide to try and find them.  David saw three waders in flight and I saw then drop on one of the islands the gulls were roosting on.  When I looked initially I saw a single Dunlin but then found the Little Stints and got David and Malcolm onto them.  David left the hide a few minutes before Malcolm and me and on looking for the stints I found four Dunlin, which we hadn’t seen before.

We caught David up near the ringing area close to the Badger Hide after Malcolm and I had just seen our first Bullfinch of the day.  David then got Malcolm and I onto a Great Tit, which again, surprisingly, was our first of the day.  Malcolm then found another Bullfinch and whilst looking for this I found a Chiffchaff and then Malcolm picked up a Lesser Redpoll, which was our first of the autumn.

We had also seen several Chaffinch and when we walked a little further some birds flew into the trees on the opposite side of the small bridge, which David said were Chaffinch.  However, as I looked, a bird perched caught my eye and on raising the binoculars I realised that it was a Spotted Flycatcher.  I got David and Malcolm on the bird and Malcolm managed to get a nice photo in what was awful light.  In David's defence there were also several Chaffinch, which is what he had seen fly across the path, but fortunately I was attracted to the Spotted Flycatcher, which turned out to be my first ever October Spotted Flycatcher in the counties.

We went back into the centre and David and Malcolm went up to the viewing area whilst I had a chat to the volunteers.  When I joined them in the viewing area they had found three Little Stints with a couple of Dunlin and Ringed Plover.  I soon found the Dunlin and Ringed Plover but the Little Stints had disappeared but they soon reappeared.  David also found a single Snipe on one of the islands towards the back of the lagoon and the Whimbrel six Curlew were on the same isalnd.  As we continued to look at the group of waders a second Ringed Plover appeared and there were now five Dunlin and then both David and I though there were four Little Stints.  David went back to the car leaving Malcolm and I to confirm the number of Little Stints and we eventually agreed that there were four. 

Presumably these waders were some of those we had seen earlier both in the North Arm and on Lagoon Four.  I called to Steve who was still in Shoveler Hide to let him know what was on Lagoon One and he said he would text me when he got into Dunlin Hide if there were any Little Stints still on Lagoon Four.

After getting back to the car I had a coffee and changed my boots and David and I set off for home.  It wasn’t long before a text arrived from Steve indicating that there was just a Greenshank on Lagoon Four, confirming the stints on Lagoon One were at least some of the birds we had seen earlier.

As we approached King’s Norton a Hobby flashed across the road but higher than the car and David missed it and a detour to the other side of the village unfortunately failed to find it.

Monday 2 October 2017

A day in Rutland, Lincolnshire & Cambridgeshire - September 30, 2017

Malcolm, Roger and I had agreed a trip to Frampton Marsh today but with a Spotted Crake and second male American Wigeon reported yesterday at Rutland Water we agreed to go there first.

When Roger and I arrived in the car park Malcom’s car was already there and presumably he had gone down to Shoveler Hide on Lagoon Three to look for the crake.  Whilst getting ready I saw a Great Spotted Woodpecker fly over and heard a Green Woodpecker calling before Roger and I set off down the service road to Shoveler Hide.  We found Malcolm and another birder already in situ but there had been no sign of the crake.


We spent a while looking for it without success but did have a Great White Egret fly over, a female-type Marsh Harrier over the reedbed and five Green Sandpiper to the right of the hide.  Roger and I decided we should go to Buzzard Hide to check the other side of the reedbed and as we approached the hide a Cetti’s Warbler called and I got the briefest of views as it dropped deeper into the vegetation.  There was no sign of the crake and so we returned to Shoveler Hide seeing another two Great White Egrets flying over and heading south.

When we got back into the hide another birder had arrived but the crake still hadn’t been seen but Malcolm pointed a Grey Wagtail.  There was a fourth Great White Egret feeding on the lagoon, three Pintail and a few Shoveler amongst the more numerous Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal and Mallard.  A small group of waders noticed feeding to the left of the hide turned out to be four Dunlin and a Little Stint.  I then picked up a Hobby as it flew behind the hide and other birders managed to see it flying low to the south by exiting the hide.  With still no sign of the crake Malcolm, Roger and I went to Sandpiper Hide on Lagoon four to look for the American Wigeon.

There was a party of Wigeon feeding directly in front of the hide and Malcolm found what he thought was yesterday’s reported male.  However, when we looked closely it was still in moult and I then wondered if this was actually yesterday’s adult male or the moulting eclipse bird that had been present on Lagoon Two since August 29th.  I took some photos of the bird and on comparing it with photos taken on Tuesday of the moulting male I thought there was a chance that it was the original bird, although there were some significant differences, particularly the forehead and the scapulars.


American Wigeon 30th


American Wigeon 26th


American Wigeon 30th

We scanned the lagoon looking for a second bird but only found twenty-eight Pintail, a fifth Great White Egret and two Yellow-legged Gulls.  I heard a Kingfisher calling, which Roger then found in the reeds to the left and indicating that there was a warbler just above it.  When I got on the Kingfisher the warbler was also visible at the base of the reeds and I could see that it was a Sedge Warbler, which is quite a late date locally.

Roger went back to Shoveler Hide to see if the crake had appeared, whilst Malcolm and I went to Osprey Hide on Lagoon Two to see if the original American Wigeon was still present.  The light wasn’t brilliant but there were far fewer birds on the lagoon than on recent visits, particularly Wigeon and there was no sign of the American Wigeon.  Roger was soon back reporting that the crake had still not been seen.

As we walked back to the car park I heard a Chiffchaff singing but we didn’t have anything else of note and after transferring our gear into Malcom’s car we headed for Frampton, seeing a small party of Golden Plover before we reached Stamford.

We arrived at Frampton at around 10:20 and drove to the car park close to the sea wall.  Four Swallow flew over as we were getting the gear out of the car and we then scanned the marsh to the east.  On two occasions there was significant disturbance when virtually all the birds took to flight but we were unable to locate anything that might have caused the panic.  It was after the second of these I noticed several Little Stints running in the grass close to the edge of one of the pools.  They weren’t easy to count as they were constantly running in and out of the grass and then they flew across a strip of water, when we were able to count nine.  However, we then realised that some had not flown and were still in the original place and we eventually managed to count thirteen.  We had seen several small parties of Brent Geese and twenty-one Pink-footed Geese flew over before turning and heading back out to sea.  There were plenty of Wigeon and Ruff on the marsh and small numbers of Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwits and Redshank, with a few Shoveler and a single Pintail with another five flying over and three Yellow Wagtails were observed in flight.


Pink-footed Geese


Brent Geese

We made our way gradually to the sea wall and there was c.300 Brent Geese feeding on the saltmarsh.  Looking back over the fresh marsh we found the resident Whooper Swan, two Barnacle Geese, seven Avocet and a Spotted Redshank flew over and I also counted sixteen Little Egrets.

As it was now approaching lunchtime we went back to the main car park and after checking what had been reported in the centre and having lunch we went to the 360 Hide.  There was a small party of waders feeding just to the east of the hide, that included several Ringed Plover, a couple of Dunlin and six Little Stints.  I had noticed when checking the board in the centre that six Little Stints had been reported this morning and assumed that they were probably different to those we had seen earlier.  As we scanned around the lagoon I found a couple of Curlew Sandpiper amongst a party of feeding Dunlin.  A Kestrel disturbed the waders on several occasions but some of the small party just outside kept returning to the same area, allowing me to get a few photos.


Whooper Swan


Juvenile Ringed Plover


Juvenile Ringed Plover


Juvenile Little Stint


Juvenile Little Stint


Juvenile Little Stint


Juvenile Little Stint


Juvenile Little Stints


Juvenile Dunlin

After a while we returned to the car park and I nipped into the centre again to see if there was anything new been reported and found that a Merlin had been seen early this morning and a Pectoral Sandpiper from the northeast sea wall.  When I got back to the car I mentioned them to Malcolm and Roger and a lady said she had seen the Merlin and possibly the Pectoral Sandpiper but wasn’t sure as she couldn’t rule out Ruff on the views she had.


Goldfinch


Goldfinch


Goldfinch

Based on the information from the lady we decided we would go to the Nene Washes at Eldernell and hopefully find some Cranes.  It didn’t take too long to get to Eldernell and we arrived at around 14:50. We didn’t see any Cranes but we did have a Marsh Harrier, three Buzzard and at least seven Kestrels and at least seventeen Swallows that appeared to be passing through.

We eventually headed back to Rutland Water when we ran into some heavy rain and after getting out gear out of Malcolm’s car we headed off home after a good day’s birding.