A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - December 23, 2017

David and I set off for Prior’s Coppice in the hope of finding a Woodcock, which had been reported several times over the last few weeks.  David had been on Thursday but hadn’t found any but one was seen after he left, and he was hoping for better luck today.

When we arrived in the car park it was rather misty and overcast and the westerly breeze was beginning to increase slightly.  We walked along the main track before taking another track off to the right and then walking into the wood.  We spent seventy-five minutes on site but had no luck with Woodcock and saw very little else with two Marsh Tit and a Nuthatch being the best.

I called Roger to see if he was out and found he was at Rutland Water looking for the Black-necked Grebe from Barnsdale without success and was heading to look from the end of Tim’s road.  We considered going to Leighfield but with the mist still being quite thick we didn’t think it would be worthwhile and went to Rutland Water to join Roger.

When we arrived, he was with Briand and Roger and had seen the Black-necked Grebe, which was considerably closer than when I had seen it on Tuesday.  There appeared to be far fewer birds in the arm today, but I did find four Pintail along the north shore and there were four Redshank in the corner of the south bay. I then noticed two drake Goosander, which were joined by a female in the fishponds and Roger found a Golden Plover amongst the Lapwing, but there was very little else, so we went to Old Hall to look for the Red-necked Grebe.

There was no sign of the Red-necked Grebe, although it was seen later but there were plenty of birds in South Arm Three, which were mainly Coot, but we couldn’t find anything of note.

With no joy with the grebe we went to the Egleton Reserve and after parking went to the centre.  There was plenty of activity at the feeding station but with nothing unusual, so we went to the viewing area in the centre, where Roger joined us.  There were eight Shelduck, sixty-two Pintail and four Goosander on the lagoon and a female-type Marsh Harrier was observed hunting over the Wet Meadow and the rear edges of the lagoon.  A Red Kite was also seen over the Wet Meadow, a Great White Egret flew over and headed off to the north and another single Golden Plover was found amongst the Lapwing on the long island.  David then found a red-headed Smew on Lagoon Two and shortly afterwards Roger thought he had seen a male and on looking in the area we had two drakes and two red-heads.

We went back to the car for lunch and afterwards walked to the northern lagoons, seeing circa eighty Golden Plover over the large meadow area.  We went to Shoveler Hide on Lagoon Three were there was a nice flock of twenty-one Red-crested Pochard and another five Pintail.  A Great White Egret flew in with a Little Egret, which were presumably the birds we had seen earlier on Lagoon One but then a second Great White Egret flew in and both disappeared into the reedbed area.

A received a tweet concerning the American Wigeon being back on Lagoon Two and so I went to try and find it, whilst David went to look on Lagoon four from Sandpiper Hide.  I opened the flaps in Osprey Hide and soon located the American Wigeon on the far side of the lagoon and pointed it out to Roger when he joined me in the hide.  David then arrived saying he had seen a first-winter male Smew on Lagoon Four but nothing else.  Two other birds then came into the hide and we alerted them to the American Wigeon, which was surprise for them.  It had been two weeks since I last saw the American Wigeon and it hadn’t been reported anywhere for over a week.  The work on Lapwing Hide and the recent bad weather had shifted most of the birds of the reserve and there had been just one report of the American Wigeon since then and it was feared it might have moved on, but it is likely it was still somewhere around the reservoir and had now returned to its favourite lagoon.  We saw the two drake Smew again but with little else we moved back to the car park and headed to Eyebrook Reservoir.

There was no sign of a Little Owl in the old oak, so we continued to the northern coral.  There were fifty-three Dunlin and three Golden Plover near the inlet and a Ruff and a Redshank along the Rutland shoreline.  As we scanned around we found three Shelduck and eleven Pintail and I found a second Redshank on the Leicestershire shoreline.

We moved from the northern coral to the southern section of road to view the gulls.  There were plenty of gulls on the water and in one of the fields, with most being Herring Gulls, with good numbers of Great Black-backed Gulls and very smaller numbers of both Black-headed and Common Gulls.  There were very few gulls arriving probably due to the local tips only working during the morning and with no sign of the first-winter Glaucous Gull we called it a day and headed home.

The light was fading quite fast we headed back but we did have a brief view of a Sparrowhawk just as left Tur Langton.

A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - December 21, 2017

When I left home this morning it was misty, but the mist became fog at times and was quite dense on the high points of the journey.  Approaching Rutland Water, it became misty again but when I pulled up at the end of the unnamed road it was quite thick again.  I couldn’t see the north shore and when I walked down towards the end of the spit it cleared a little and I could see partially into the southern bay.  I was hoping that yesterday’s Bewick’s Swan, which was the only record for the counties this year, would still be present.  I could see quite a few swans with some resting but all those identified were Mute Swans.  The mist came and went and at one point it became quite frustrating as I could see Burley House but not the north shore of the reservoir as the mist appeared to be hanging just above the water.  I was eventually satisfied that all the swans in view were Mute and that the Bewick’s Swan had either gone or moved elsewhere the reservoir.

The mist eventually cleared sufficiently for me to see as far as Dickinson’s Bay, but the Black-necked Grebe was also proving elusive and all I saw of note were the two Barnacle Geese, six Pintail, four Pochard and a couple of Redshank.  As I continued to look for the Black-necked Grebe I did see a couple of Dunlin in flight amongst a flock of Lapwing and two Goosander in the fishponds, but I eventually called it a day and headed for the Egleton Reserve.

As I was leaving David arrived and I briefed him on what I had seen, and he then went to look for the Black-necked Grebe, ringing me later to say he had found it just beyond Dickinson’s Bay.

I checked out the feeders near the Egleton centre and although there was a fair bit of activity there was nothing of note and I went into the centre.  The lagoon was now almost unfrozen and there were quite a few birds.  I counted fifty-four Pintail along with sixteen Goosander and there were nine Golden Plover and two Snipe on the long island.  A pair of Stonechat performed well in front of the viewing area and when I scanned Lagoon Two I found two Great White Egret and a Little Egret and there were also two more Goosander.

From the centre I headed for the northern lagoons seeing a Treecreeper just beyond the ringing area and a Red Kite just west of the big meadow.  I called in Grebe Hide on Lagoon Two where there were plenty of birds but nothing of note.  I could see that Lapwing Hide had now been dismantled and hopefully it won’t be too long before work is started on its reconstruction.

I moved onto Shoveler Hide on Lagoon Three and on entering the hide two other birders pointed out a Grey Wagtail.  There was another twelve Pintail and two drake Goosander on the water and a single Snipe was observed on the edge of the reedbed.

A brief visit to Sandpiper Hide on Lagoon Four produced very little with just several flocks of Wigeon feeding mainly around the bund and a visit into Osprey Hide to look for a Marsh Harrier proved unsuccessful.

When I got back to the centre I saw a Marsh Tit at the feeders before I joined Brian, Roger and Rosie in the viewing area.  There were fewer birds on the lagoon and nothing new, although the two Great White Egrets and three Little Egrets were standing with a Grey Heron on the left-hand side of the lagoon.

I went for my lunch and then drove to the Lyndon Reserve and although the feeders were full there were still no Tree Sparrows visiting, although there were plenty of Blue and Great Tits and a single Coal Tit.  I walked down to Teal Hide and found Brian, Roger and Rosie already in the hide but there were fewer birds than on Tuesday, although I did find a single female/immature Scaup.  There was very little close to Lax Hill as volunteers were involved in carryout some habitat maintenance.  The light was awful from here and it was difficult seeing anything at long range, but I did eventually locate nine Red-crested Pochard before I departed for Eyebrook Reservoir.

When I got to the northern coral, Brian, Roger and Rosie were already there and had counted ninety-two Golden Plover and fifteen Dunlin and had seen two Redshank.  I counted the Dunlin and also had fifteen, but I could only find one Redshank and didn’t bother to count the Golden Plover.  Brian found a single Stonechat and they left for the island coral shortly afterwards to check out the gulls.  I remained a little longer seeing two Shelduck and nine Pintail but then headed for the island coral.

I looked in the bay to the north of the island for three drake Smew that had been seen but couldn’t find them and so continued onto the coral, which I found was full, and so went onto view the gulls from the south section of road.  Phil was already in position but hadn’t seen the first-winter Glaucous Gull or anything else amongst the now sizeable flock of gulls.  I then received a message from Roger saying there was a second-winter Mediterranean Gull, but Phil and I hadn’t found it when another message saying it had flown off north arrived.  With the light beginning to fade and still no sign of the Glaucous Gull I went back to the island for another look for the Smew.  There was still no sign, so I went down to the style and found two males and two red-heads and a small flock of Pochard.

A quick check at the inlet for the Mediterranean Gull produced nothing and after a coffee I headed off home.

A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - December 19, 2017

The forecast last night was for early morning fog, but it was clear but overcast when I left home as dawn was beginning to break and consequently I had seen very little as I drove down the unnamed road to the North Arm at Rutland Water.  After parking I viewed the fishponds but found most of the water was frozen over and the only birds I saw were four Egyptian Geese in flight.  I could see three male and two female Goosander just on the other side of the bund in the North Arm.

I went through the gate and walked out towards the spit and found a third female Goosander and the two Barnacle Geese were on the north shore and a single Little Egret on the bund.  A Black-necked Grebe had been reported several times since last Thursday, including yesterday, and I was hoping I would find it.  I scanned the area east of the spit several times but couldn’t find the grebe, but I did count eleven Pintail, which is far fewer than of late, another Little Egret and a Redshank.  I called Steve expecting him to be on site, but he had decided not to come as Terry was away and his recent experience following the poor weather hadn’t inspired him to make another visit before Christmas.  I also called Roger Brett to see where they had seen the grebe yesterday and wasn’t surprised when he described where it was, but it wasn’t there this morning.

Malcolm then called to see where I was and was disappointed that I hadn’t found the grebe as he was just leaving home hoping to see it.  After finishing the call with Malcolm, I started to look for the grebe again and found what I thought might be it just of the spit near Dickinson’s Bay.  It was swimming away and then dived and was some time before it reappeared, when I got a better view and could see it was the Black-necked Grebe.

Another male Goosander had flown over and I then noticed that the six I had seen earlier were now in the southern corner of the bund.  I went back to the car to get the camera and then went into the shelter to take some photos.

Two male & female Goosander

Male Goosander

Female Goosander

Male & female Goosander

After getting a few photos, I went back towards the spit, when a Grey Wagtail flew over and I found a second Redshank on the north shore before heading back to the car.

As I reached the gate Malcolm arrived, so I went back down to the spit to help him find the Black-necked Grebe, seeing a Nuthatch as we did so.  I had indicated where I had found the grebe and he found it again before I got my scope up to start scanning, so we didn’t stay much longer having agreed to go to the Egleton car park.  I stopped briefly at Tim's feeders, seeing a Coal Tit, two Marsh Tits and two Nuthatches before continuing to the car park and seeing a Red Kite over the village.

We went down to the feeding station as a Brambling had been reported yesterday and we were hoping it might appear.  There was a bit of activity with plenty of Blue and Great Tits making regular visits, along with several Chaffinch and Greenfinch and there was also Pheasant, Moorhen, Blackbird, Robin and Dunnock feeding on the ground.

With no sign of the Brambling we went into the centre finding that Lagoon One was frozen completely.  Lagoon Two was also similar with just a small area free of ice, where there were a few birds but nothing of note.

We agreed to go to the Lyndon Reserve next but had another ten minutes at the feeders first.  There was still plenty of activity but still no sign of the Brambling, but a Marsh Tit was visiting frequently.

Marsh Tit

Marsh Tit

Marsh Tit

Dunnock

Chaffinch

Song Thrush in the Egleton meadows

As I entered the car park at Lyndon a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew from the nearest tree and a single Fieldfare was also observed.  As pulled up I was surprised to see just how many birds were on the water and realised they would take some time to go through.  Malcolm arrived just afterwards, and we walked towards Teal Hide to view the feeders but found they were empty and so continued onto Teal Hide.

When we opened the flaps of the hide we realised just how many birds there were in South Arm Two and in front and to the east of the hide.  I certainly wouldn't have wanted to count them as there must have been somewhere in the region of five thousand birds.  Most were Tufted Duck and Coot but there were also good numbers of Wigeon and smaller numbers of Gadwall, Teal and Mallard.  As we scanned through the birds I counted ten Pochard and I then found a female/immature Scaup and Malcolm then found a male and another female/immature.  There were also good numbers of Goldeneye with some quite close to the hide and I found two male and two female Goosander close to the Heron Bay bund where there was also a Little Egret.

Drake Goldeneye

First-year Goldeneye

Drake Pochard

I had seen a Dunlin on the shore near Goldeneye Hide at the base of Lax Hill and then saw circa fifteen in flight towards the Old Hall.  There was a single Great White Egret feeding between Gadwall and Fieldfare Hides and there were at least twenty-eight Pintail between Goldeneye Hide and the northern end of Brown’s Island where I also counted seventeen Red-crested Pochard.  As I continued to scan towards the Old Hall I found the Red-necked Grebe and provided directions to Malcom, but the views were rather distant.

Our plan was to go to Eyebrook Reservoir this afternoon but after some lunch we felt it was still too early and decided to walk to Wader Scrape Hide to view Manton Bay.  We saw very little on route and as we approached the hide I suddenly thought I had left my camera on view on the front seat of the car and so after a quick scan and a count of the Pintail, of which there were seventeen, I rushed back to the car park and left Malcolm in the hide.

When I got back after a quick walk and even a short run I opened the boot and found that the camera was not in view and I needn’t have worried.  Paul was at the centre and after a chat he went to fill the feeders and I went and looked out across the meadow and was surprised to see that some birds were interested even as he filled the feeders.  I then saw a bird fly into the tree near the shore and thought that might be a Chiffchaff, but it was just a silhouette and couldn’t be sure, but it then dropped out of the tree into some grasses on the edge of the field and I was able to confirm my initial identification.

Malcolm returned shortly afterwards having seen a few Dunlin and a Buzzard from Wader Scrape Hide but we were unable to relocate the Chiffchaff.

We left the Lyndon Reserve and headed for Eyebrook Reservoir, I approached he reservoir from the north but there was no sign of any Little Owls in the old oak.  I parked near the northern coral to view the inlet, which is where the Jack Snipe had been yesterday.  Malcolm joined me in the coral and we started to search for the Jack Snipe and found at least five Snipe feeding along the Rutland bank, but a low flying aircraft caused some disturbance and we struggled to find many Snipe afterwards and certainly no Jack Snipe.  There was a Little Egret in the stream, four Dunlin near the mouth of the stream and a Ruff and a Redshank along the Rutland shore and I found a second Redshank feeding on the Leicestershire shore towards Holyoaks.  Ken joined us and as we were chatting a Peregrine flew over and caused some disturbance with the Dunlin and Lapwing flying off and they hadn’t returned when we headed for the island coral.

As we approached the island coral the sun was out again and so Malcolm and I drove further around to view the gulls from the southern shore.  There was already a good number of gulls on the water that included Black-headed, Common, Herring and Great Black-backed but there was no sign of the Glaucous Gull.  I saw what I thought was a Green Woodpecker fly behind a tree and a few seconds later it flew again and headed towards the fishing lodge.  Ken and Phil then joined us and shortly afterwards Daz arrived but there was still no sign of the Glaucous.  A Red Kite and a Kestrel were observed as we watched the gull numbers slowly increase.  Phil then announced that he had the first-winter Glaucous Gull and gave us an indication as to where it was.  It was a rather small bird being smaller then some of the Herring Gulls but showed a classic first-winter bill pattern and short primary extension.

It was turning quite cold now and so Malcolm and I decided to go and look for a pair of Smew before we departed.  We drove back to the railing on the north side of the island where Ken had seen the birds earlier.  We had just found the red-head when Erik called to say I had driven past the Glaucous Gull.  He was in the hide and had seen me go by and thought I hadn’t seen the gull but also indicated that the male Smew was now up by the fishing lodge, so we called it a day.



A day in Rutland, Northamptonshire & Cambridgeshire - December 16, 2017

Roger picked David and I up and we then headed for Market Harbour for Malcolm who agreed to be today’s driver.  Our plan was to go to Rutland Water first as Roger who wasn’t with us on Thursday was keen to see the Rock Pipit.  A Buzzard between Market Harbour and Corby and a Sparrowhawk over the road as we approached Uppingham were the only species of note before we parked at the end of the Hambleton peninsula.

The early morning sun was becoming quite hazy and cloud was beginning to come in and although we were out of the wind it felt quite cold.  We walked along the cycle track but there was no sign of the Great Northern Diver in Barnwell Creek and we continued to view the southern shore of the North Arm, which is where we had seen the pipit on Thursday.  As I scanned the shore I found a wader that I thought might be the Common Sandpiper we hadn’t been able to find on Thursday and alerted David and Malcolm who had taken their scopes.  They soon confirmed the that it was the Common Sandpiper but there was no sign of the Rock Pipit, so we walked further in to the arm towards Armley Wood.  The Common Sandpiper was observed in flight and we watched it as it came down near the wood and a pipit seen close to where we had seen the Rock Pipit turned out to be just a Meadow Pipit.  David and I started walking back along the edge still hoping to find the pipit but all we had seen as we approached Barnwell Creek was three Pied Wagtail and a Redshank.  I then noticed one of the juvenile Great Northern Divers in the creek and we were able to get reasonably close and take a few shots.  Malcolm and Roger joined us, and we spent several minutes watching and photographing the diver before it moved over to the far side of the creek.

Great Northern Diver

Great Northern Diver

Great Northern Diver

Great Northern Diver

Disappointed we hadn’t been able to find the Rock Pipit but pleased with the Common Sandpiper as it was only my second December UK record with the last being at Swithland Reservoir in December 1972.

When we got back to the car Brian and Rosie arrived and after a brief chat we set of for Blatherwycke in the hope of finding Hawfinches.  It wasn’t long afterwards when Brian texted to say they had found the Rock Pipit where we had seen it on Thursday.  We had a Red Kite as we approached Blatherwycke and when we arrived another birder was leaving saying he had seen at least two Hawfinches.

As we started to walk to the church there were five Red Kites over the field to the east of the footpath.  David and I had got a little in front of Malcolm and Roger and were scanning the trees alongside the path and beyond the church.  I picked up a Nuthatch, a Fieldfare and Redwing and then noticed a bird perched at the top of one of the more distant trees.  As David trained his scope onto the tree it flew towards us and was joined by six more and they flew directly over us and we could see that they were Hawfinches.  We alerted Malcolm and Roger as two of the birds landed in a tree alongside the path but sadly they flew on almost immediately.  Malcolm indicated that they had flown off in the direction of Bulwick and presumably to the church, where they were also being seen.  We discussed going there as it is only a short drive away but we then spotted a bird at the top of one of the distant trees that turned out to be a Hawfinch and so we continued onto the church.

From the church you can see part of Blatherwycke Lake where there were two Black Swans, an Egyptian Goose and a drake Goosander.  A patient wait did provide another view of the Hawfinch but unfortunately it didn’t stay very long, and a further wait proved fruitless.

We walked back to the car and then drove alongside the lake before stopping to view the lake where we counted twenty-eight Mandarin Duck and saw a couple of Pochard.

Satisfied with our excursion to Blatherwycke we headed for our final destination, the Nene Washes at Eldernell.  We had two more Red Kites and a Buzzard before we reached the A47 and headed towards Thorney and then a couple of Kestrel before turning off the B1040 to view the fields to the north of the River Nene, where Malcolm had seen Whooper Swan and Cranes recently.  We had two more Kestrel and a Green Woodpecker before we turned and headed back to the B1040.

As we reached the road there was a party of swans feeding in a field but turned out to be mainly Mute although there were at least three Whooper Swans with them.  We continued along the road to Whittlesey seeing yet two Kestrels and then turned east along the A605 towards Eldernell.  We decided to past the Eldernell turn to look for any swans in the fields between there and the March Farmers turn.  There was another Kestrel just after passing the turn and although than a few Mute Swans and some very distant swans we hadn’t found any as we approached March Farmers turn.  David who was in the front a picked up a party of birds heading towards us he had initially suspected were swans.  I eventually managed to get onto them and didn’t think they were swans as they appeared rather dark.  David then said they might be Cranes and so we pulled onto the March Farmers access road, when he confirmed his suspicions.  Malcom and I got out of the car to try and get a few photos as they went over, although they were still quite distant but I did manage a few shots.  They were heading towards Eldernell and Malcolm was now disappointed that they might well go over the car park or quite close.  David and Roger who had stayed in the car confirmed that there were twenty-four birds.

Four of the group of twenty-four Cranes

Two of the group of twenty-four Cranes

Twenty-four Cranes

We went back to A605 and then turned towards the Eldernell car park, which unusually was almost full, but we did managed to get parked and had a rather late lunch before viewing the washes.  I had mine outside, whilst the others sat in the car and I saw three Cranes flying near the old duck decoy and altered the others.  Malcolm gave me the thumbs up but thinking I meant the Short-eared Owl, which I hadn’t noticed.  I then realised that more Cranes were dropping in just west of the decoy and that they must be the party we had seen flying over March Farmers.  They certainly hadn’t flown over the car park and were considerably further away indicating we were in the right place at the right time.

After I finished my lunch I set my scope up to view the washes and just after Malcolm joined me and there were a lot of swans flying with some coming down to the east, whilst others came back west and we were able to identify four a Bewick’s Swans, whilst all the other identified were Whooper Swans.  David then joined us and managed to see the four Bewick’s but Roger unfortunately missed them.  I had also seen three Short-eared Owls with two interacting and calling quite frequently.  We then had two male and two female-type Marsh Harriers, two Buzzards, two Kestrel, a Peregrine, a Barn Owl and a forth Short-eared Owl.  A vehicle had gone out onto the wash and had managed to flush the Cranes and again we counted twenty-four but a few minutes later three more, two adults and a juvenile, were observed taking the total to twenty-seven.  These washes in winter are a truly magical place but the cold eventually got to us and we called it a day and headed of home.

A day at Rutland Water, Rutland - December 14, 2017

Although yesterday’s rain had mainly cleared the remains of Sunday’s snow fall there had been a further fall overnight and the roads were a little tricky, particularly as David headed for the A47 at Billesdon.  David and I had agreed to meet Malcolm in the car park at Rutland Water but had called him as we were going to be late.  He warned us that the car park was like a skating rink and that he almost went into one of the gate posts when he arrived.  As we approached Uppingham there was a lane closer and the police were directing the traffic as two cars had been involved in an accident at the top of Wardley Hill.
We eventually arrived in the Egleton car park and the journey had taken just over an hour, which we can normally do in just thirty-five minutes.  Our plan was to go in one car to the end of the Hambleton Peninsula and then look for a Common Sandpiper and Rock Pipit that had been seen a couple of times recently.  However due to the road condition we thought we should stay on the reserve for a while hoping the conditions would improve later.  Malcolm wasn’t kidding when he said the car park was like a sheet of glass as the whole area was just sheet ice, so we made our way on the grass surround to the footpath and then walked on the grass to the feeding station.

There was plenty of activity at the feeding station but nothing unusual, so we headed for the northern lagoons.  The path wasn’t too bad, but we needed to be careful and use the edges quite a bit.  I had seen about thirty Redwing in a field just to the west of the village and there were plenty of Blackbirds feeding the meadows along with several Song Thrush but there were no winter thrushes.

As we approached the path to grebe hide David heard a Redpoll and then Siskin but   as we approached the summer trail we saw two groups of passerines fly off.  We tried to relocate them and although we had them in flight on a couple of occasions we were unable to find them feeding.  We did have brief views of a single Jay but very little else.

We went into Grebe Hide and found that there was a significant amount of ice free water on the lagoon and there were plenty of birds, mainly Gadwall but also smaller numbers of Wigeon and Mallard and we also found three Shoveler, a red-headed Smew and a female Goosander and a Buzzard landed very close to the hide but flew off almost instantly being harassed by a couple of corvids.

We moved onto Shoveler Hide on Lagoon Three were we found the water was mainly ice free and again lots of birds.  There were twelve Pintail, sixteen Red-crested Pochard, eleven Pochard, two Goldeneye, two red-headed Smew and a male Goosander and more Gadwall and smaller numbers of Wigeon, Teal, Mallard and Tufted Duck.

We moved onto Crake Hide were there was very little and as Lapwing Hide was being dismantled we went back to Sandpiper Hide on Lagoon Four.  The lagoon is now on top water but there were very few birds except for good numbers of Wigeon and Teal feeding on the western bund.

As we made our way back to the centre Malcolm located a small party of Siskin feeding in the alders near Grebe Hide.  We repositioned ourselves to get a better view but could only find a few Siskin and a couple of Goldfinch.  As we stood watching, more Siskin arrived and there must have been at least thirty and presumably the same Jay we had seen earlier reappeared.  Despite an extensive search we were unable to locate any redpoll and went to the centre to get warm.

Male Siskin

Male Siskin

Jay

We went up to the viewing area in the centre and found that there was more ice than on the other lagoons and fewer birds.  We did find a pair of Goosander and there were two Curlew feeding on the long island and four Pintail appeared.  We then heard a Curlew calling and on looking on the long island found that they had disappeared, but Malcom then located three on one of the more distant islands.

We checked out the feeding area again and although there was now more activity with a good selection of common species but nothing of note.  The car park was now beginning to thaw and as we had seen cars going up the hill to Hambleton without any problems we decided we should now go to the peninsula to look for the Common Sandpiper and Rock Pipit.  The road beyond the village was still a little icy in places but we got to the end without any problems and after lunch starting walking towards Barnwell Creek.

As we approached the creek Malcolm picked up one of the Great Northern Divers just beyond the creek and after a brief view we continued around to view the northern shore, where are two target birds were being seen.  As we reached the summit of the hill we could see Brain and Roger who were clearly watching something and on joining them they had a pipit but weren't sure if it was the Rock or just a Meadow Pipit.  We all got on the bird when we also had some doubt, although the bright sun wasn’t helping and whilst I was chatting to Brian and Roger, David and Malcolm walked closer to try and get a better view.  David then waved us over and when we joined them he indicated that they were both happy it was a Rock Pipit.  We were all soon watching the bird in better light and could see that it was obviously the Rock Pipit seen by Andrew Harrop earlier in the week.  There was a Redshank further along the shore but there was no sign of the Common Sandpiper and so David, Malcom and I walked further to try and see more of the shoreline.  When we got down on the shore near Armley Wood we were unable to see much more and there was still no sign of the sandpiper and started to walk back.

As we made our way back David flushed a couple of Snipe and then Malcolm flushed a third and our only Fieldfare flew over.  When we got back to Barnwell Creek we looked for the Great Northern Diver and found one in the creek and a second at the mouth and we were able to make out that they were both juveniles.

From the peninsula we headed for the North Arm where we found our forth red-headed Smew and a female Scaup.  There were also forty-two Pintail, three Dunlin and three Redshank and a brief stop at Tim’s feeders produced a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Coal Tit and a Nuthatch.

We went back to the centre to spend the last hour in the warmth of the viewing area but other than a Barn Owl and a Barnacle Goose there was little else with no sign of either the Goosander or Curlew seen earlier, so we called it a day just before 16:00.

A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - December 8, 2017

Roger picked me and after picking up David we headed for Eyebrook Reservoir in the hope of seeing the illusive Ferruginous Duck, which was reported again yesterday.  It was a particularly cold morning after a good overnight frost but thankfully the wind was quite light and it didn’t feel too bad.  We saw a single Buzzard as we approached Cranoe but hadn’t seen a great deal else before we turned onto the southern approach road to the reservoir.

A Sparrowhawk flew down the approach road in front of us as we approached the reservoir and after parking near the island coral we went into the coral to view the reservoir.  With sun shining brightly the viewing isn’t good from the coral but most of the southern shoreline is visible and we found four Pintail but nothing else of note.  There was a single Dunlin amongst the Cormorant and gulls on the spit and a Kestrel was hunting to the left.

David had noticed some Pochard against the planation shoreline, so we went around to the fencing to get a better view.  There were two more Pintail in the bay to the right of the fencing but the Pochard flock was still too distant, so we were moved further along the road and then went over a style to get a little closer.

Although the flock of birds were feeding on the far side the light was superb and we were able to get reasonable views as the Pochard and Tufted Duck as they continued to feed.  There were five of us searching through the flock and I counted 124 Pochard but there was no sign of the Ferruginous Duck and we eventually agreed it wasn’t there.

The WeBS Count was scheduled for tomorrow, but the weather forecast was for some heavy snow and Tim had sent a message out yesterday asking if any of the counters were available to get it done today.  We had agreed that we would count my normal areas, that is South Arm Three and Lagoon One, and so we departed for Rutland Water to begin the count.  As we left Eyebrook Reservoir via the northern approach road there was a Little Owl sitting in the old oak.

After parking near the Old Hall, we walked along the southern shore to view the bay near the Old Hall.  There wasn’t a great deal with just a few Wigeon, Teal, Mallard and Tufted Duck being present.  There were some Cormorants on the island and a few Mute Swan, Goldeneye and Great Crested Grebe between the bay and the island.

We then walked west along the track and stopped to count the southern shore taking some shelter from the breeze near the cattle grid.  There were far fewer birds along the south shore today, but I did find the five Black-tailed Godwits that have been present for a while now.  There was a Buzzard feeding on the ground just to the left of Brown’s Island and I then found quite a few birds resting along the shore on Brown’s Island.  They were mainly Teal with well over a hundred counted but also a single Shelduck, a few Mallard and twenty-one Pintail.  As we walked further along the track we could see a mass of birds along the Lagoon Three bund as far as Lapwing Hide, which took quite some time to count.  There were mainly Coot (1456) and Tufted Duck (742) but there were also smaller numbers of Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal and Mallard.  In the far corner near Lagoon One we found a single Pochard and ten Little Egrets were resting on the bund.

We were all feeling quite chilly by the time we had finished counting and headed to the Egleton Reserve to count Lagoon One.  There were far fewer birds on Lagoon One and it was much more pleasant counting from the viewing area, where there is heating.  Highlights were eight Shelduck, fifty-two Pintail, fifteen Goosander and three Curlew.  The wintering Whimbrel had been seen earlier and was now supposed to be on the Wet Meadow, but we couldn't find it.  Roger then found two Stonechats near Mallard Hide and there were two Great White Egrets on the Lagoon and the female Marsh Harrier was observed on several occasions. I also found pair of Smew on Lagoon Two, but we couldn’t find the American Wigeon.

With the count completed we went back to the car for lunch, seeing a Marsh Tit at the feeders as we did so.  After lunch we decided to go to Snipe Hide to view the Wet Meadow having some nice views of several Bullfinch as we approached the hide.  There was no sign of the Whimbrel, but David spotted the Barn Owl sitting on the edge of the nest box and we had at least three Red Kites from the hide.  I called Tim to see how the count was going and agreed to count what few birds were on the Wet Meadow, which included some Canada Geese and Wigeon feeding on the meadow and several Teal and a couple of Shoveler on the flash.

As I left the hide Tim and Chris arrived and offered me a lift back to the car park and we then picked up David and Roger who had gone on ahead.  Once back at the car park we headed for the centre, but I stopped to photograph a Song Thrush that was feeding in the meadow.

Song Thrush

Having got back in the centre we spent the rest of the afternoon there having further views of the Barn Owl on the edge of the box and in flight and the Marsh Harrier.  There was also up to nineteen Goosander on the lagoon during the afternoon and another Curlew was found on the Wet Meadow.  David also found the American Wigeon on Lagoon Two whilst giving direction to some other birders looking for the Smew.  Roger then found a Sparrowhawk perched near Mallard Hide that then flew towards us being joined by a second, with the second perching briefly in front of the centre before being harassed by a Carrion Crow.  As the light faded we heard the Whimbrel call and I picked it up in flight and saw it come down in a bay on the long island.  Although the light wasn’t brilliant we could see it was smaller and darker than the nearby Curlew, of which there were now five; a good end to the day.

An afternoon in Leicestershire and Northants - December 7, 2017

David and I decided to make a visit to Stanford Reservoir after the heavy morning rain had moved off to the southeast, but it remained quite windy but there were some sunny periods.

After parking near the old railway line, we walked along the track and entered the reservoir grounds near the feeding station.  We had seen a Buzzard and couple of Bullfinches as we walked along the track and on entering the reservoir grounds I found a single Tree Sparrow in a bush near the feeding station.  It was particularly windy at this point and the feeders were swinging quite violently in the wind with no birds feeding.

There is a set-aside field to the northeast and we entered the field and flushed a Snipe and a second smaller bird that we thought was a Jack Snipe.  It had flown directly away from us before dropping into the field again, so we walked to where we thought it had gone.  It flushed again and this time we saw it slightly better and were able to confirm that it was a Jack Snipe.

We returned to the reservoir grounds and walked back along the track to the road.  There were good numbers of wildfowl along the Leicestershire bank that included Wigeon; Gadwall; Teal; Mallard, three Shoveler, forty-two Pochard, Tufted Duck and a single female Goosander.  There were also twenty Cormorant and two Little Egrets were observed in flight.

When we got back to the road we checked out the small section of the other side of the road, where we found two more Bullfinch.  There was a large concentration of Jackdaw on the Leicestershire side that all took to flight and shortly afterwards I picked up a Buzzard, which had presumably caused the disturbance.

After getting back to the car David suggested we go back via Saddington Reservoir and just after passing through Mowsley we had a Kestrel and I then saw a Sparrowhawk, which David failed to see.

There wasn’t a great deal at Saddington Reservoir even though the water was quite low with the best being two male and five female Goosander.

A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - December 5, 2017

It was quite dull and overcast when I left home and headed for Eyebrook Reservoir and other Red Kites near Stonton Wyville and over Blaston I hadn’t seen a great deal else as I turned onto the northern approach road to the reservoir.

There was no sign of a Little Owl today, so I continued onto the northern coral seeing eleven Red-legged Partridge on the road before parking.  When I entered the coral, there was a Kestrel hunting just to the right but there appeared to fewer birds around the inlet.  I soon found the Ruff that has been present for a while now and I counted forty-eight Dunlin feeding amongst the Lapwing and gulls.  There were good numbers of wildfowl to the right of the coral that included three Shelduck and twenty-eight Pochard.  As I continued to scan I noticed another wader, which turned out to be a Snipe, a species that appears quite scarce locally at present.  I left the coral and headed for the bridge but with nothing of note I was soon on my way to the Lyndon Reserve at Rutland Water.

Just after passing through Manton Steve called to see if I was on site and to say that he and Terry had been surprised as they hadn’t seen a Great White Egrets but had seen the female Common Scoter in the North Arm and the Red-necked Grebe in South Arm Three.

I drove down to the car park and spent a few minutes talking to another birder seeing a Goldcrest and a Treecreeper just to the left of the centre.  I headed for Teal Hide checking the feeders, which were now full, but there was only Blue Tits and a single Chaffinch.

When I entered the hide I scanned the far shore and like Steve and Terry found there were no Great White Egrets.  I did find three Little Egrets near Heron Bay and there was a Shelduck and seven Pintail near the Lax Hill shoreline.  I picked up a party of fourteen Dunlin flying over the water, but they seemed reluctant to land and disappeared.  I scanned South Arm Three and found the Red-necked Grebe towards the norther shore but with nothing else of note I decided to go to Wader Scrape Hide to view Manton Bay.

Again, there was very little on the feeders, but I did find four Lesser Redpoll as I started to walk along the path to the hide.

Lesser Redpoll

Lesser Redpoll

After observing and taking a few shots of the redpoll, I continued along the track but other than a few Fieldfare and Redwing hadn’t seen a great deal else as I entered the hide.  There was a Great White Egret on the far shore, which was then joined by a second and I found five Black-tailed Godwits feeding in the water closer to the bridge.  There were seven Pintail and nine Pochard in the bay, along with small numbers of Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Tufted Duck and Goldeneye.  I informed Steve that there were still at least two Great White Egrets present but it does look as though there has been a bit of a clear out.

I called in Tufted Duck Hide on my way back where a Green Sandpiper flew by but landed out of sight.  As I left the hide a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over and just after Deep Water Hide I heard a Green Woodpecker, which then flew over.

I stopped and observed the feeders for a while when I got back to the centre and although there were now a few more birds there was still not a great variety and certainly no Tree Sparrows.  Steve and Terry came into the car park as I was getting ready to leave and after a quick chat and seeing a Red Kite I headed for the North Arm.  There was another Red Kite as I approached the main road and yet another as I approached Manton and a Kestrel as I approached the unnamed road.

I stopped to observe Tim’s feeders where I saw both Coal and Marsh Tits before parking at the far end of the road.  There were three Barnacle Geese amongst a small flock of Canada Geese on the north shore and fourteen Dunlin on the spit.  Five Pintail were along the north shore and I counted another sixty-one in the southern bay.  Four Redshank flew past the spit and landed in the corner of the bay where I found a fifth bird.  As I scanned the south shore there was a Great White Egret and there was a good number of Goldeneye scattered around the arm, but I couldn’t locate the Common Scoter that Steve and Terry had seen earlier.

The wind had freshened quite a bit and I was beginning to feel quite cold and so went to the Egleton car park where I had my lunch.  Steve and Terry arrived but I left them having their lunch and went to view the feeders at the centre.  There were plenty of birds at the feeding station including, a Pheasant, a Moorhen, several Blue and Great Tits, a Robin, a Dunnock, several Chaffinch and a Greenfinch.

Once in the viewing area I found three Curlew on the long island a Great White Egret at the back of the lagoon and three Little Egrets.  There was also a party of Goosander in the far left-hand corner of the lagoon.  Terry then joined me, and I made him aware of the Curlew, which were now playing hide-and-seek, with one looking slightly smaller but then everything flew, and we were able to see that there were just three Curlew.  Steve then joined us when we eventually had twenty-one Goosander, including seven males.  I then picked up the female Marsh Harrier, which was over the Goosanders and was clearly showing an interest.  It suddenly dropped and by its actions it had clearly caught something.  It was laying on the water with its wings outstretched and we could see the tail of a duck it had taken and appeared to be holding under the water.  At one point I could see what I thought was a white speculum and considered the captured bird to be a Gadwall.  It continued holding the bird under the water and after a while tried lifting it out of the water by the neck, when it appeared grebe-like but then dropped it back onto the water.  At this stage the captured bird hadn’t been seen struggling and we assumed it was dead but after attempting to lift out the water again it dropped it back into the water and we could see that it was a Gadwall, which then started to swim slowly away.  The harrier dropped on it again and for the third time tried to lift it out of the water but then dropped it again and the Gadwall then continued swimming towards the shore.  We lost the Gadwall as it went into the far corner and although the harrier did show some further interest it wasn’t seen to attempt to take the Gadwall again and after sitting in a tree for a while disappeared.  Before we departed to the northern lagoons I counted thirty-nine Pintail on the lagoon and there were also six Shelduck.

We moved off to the northern lagoon and called at Grebe Hide on Lagoon Two where we found the American Wigeon.  There was also a pair of Stonechat feeding just in front of the hide and I had a Great Spotted Woodpecker fly over before we moved onto Shoveler Hide on Lagoon Three.

There were nineteen Red-crested Pochard on Lagoon Three along with eleven more Pintail and four Curlew flew in before Terry and I went to Crake Hide where we saw a single Water Rail before going onto Lapwing Hide.  Most of the birds in South Arm Three were a considerable distance away from the hide, with a large concertation around Gadwall Hide and so we headed for Dunlin Hide.

As we walked back along the path I picked up another Great Spotted Woodpecker in flight and this time I was able to get Terry on to it.  We met Steve as we approached Dunlin Hide who had heard a Little Owl but had been unable to find it.  Terry decided he would call it a day whist Steve and I went into the hide.  We had seen c.700 Golden Plover over Lagoon Four earlier and most were now on the islands at the far side of the lagoon, along with probably even more Lapwing.  There were plenty of Great Black-backed Gulls near island one, along with small numbers of Black-headed, Common and Herring Gulls.

I eventually headed back to the centre hoping to catch up with the Barn Owl again.  As I opened the flap in the viewing area the Barn Owl was quartering the area to the left but then flew directly in front of the centre and continued on towards Mallard Hide before disappearing.  There were now four Curlew on the long island and these were joined by two more before I called it a day.

A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - December 2, 2017

David, Roger and I set off for Eyebrook Reservoir and with the wind easing it felt much warner than during the recent few days.  We had a Buzzard as we approached Cranoe, a Red Kite over the farm along Uppingham Road and five Kestrels before reaching the turning to the reservoir.

We parked near the gate to the fishing lodge but saw very little and then went to the island coral where we found Malcolm.  We spent time scanning the area and found six Pintail amongst the numerous Wigeon, Teal and Mallard along the western shore.  Four Pochard were observed in flight and I found a red-headed Smew in the southeast corner of the dam.

We all moved to the other side of the island and viewed the reservoir from the fencing.  A Kestrel was seen on several occasions and there were twenty-nine Pochard on the far side but there was no sign of the Ferruginous Duck amongst them, although it was reported later in the day.  As I scanned the far point of the island I found a first-winter male Scaup, but we eventually moved onto the northern coral.

There were quite a few Dunlin and David saw a Ruff, but they were not easy to see as they were feeding along the close bank and were obscured by the vegetation.  They were eventually disturbed and flew with the Ruff landing in the open water and thirty-seven Dunlin on the mud.  A single Golden Plover flew over and we found a pair of Stonechat on the Rutland side.  There were good numbers of wildfowl to the south of the coral that included four Shelduck.

Malcolm had looked for the Little Owl when he arrived without success, but we decided to go and had a Buzzard fly over the road as we approached the old oak, where were found a Little Owl.  We went back to the bridge over the inlet seeing another Kestrel as we approached the bridge.  We weren't seeing a great deal and decided to head to Rutland Water, agreeing to see Malcom in the Egleton car park.

When we got to the car park Malcolm joined us and our plan was to do a circuit of the reservoir.  After checking the meadow between the car park and the centre where we found two Song Thrush and several Blackbird and Redwing we went to the North Arm.

We stopped briefly to view the fishponds where we had our first Little Egret of the day before stopping to view Tim’s feeders where we found a Great Spotted Woodpecker feeding.  We parked at the far end of the unnamed road and found the two Barnacle Geese amongst a small party of Canada Geese on the north shore.  As we walked down to the spit I heard a Redshank call and then saw two disappear around the end of the point.  There were plenty of birds to scan through on the water and I found a single female Common Scoter and David then found a drake Scaup.  I counted sixty Pintail in the southern bay where there was also another Little Egret.

As we left the North Arm for the dam we stopped again to view Tim’s feeders and found a Coal Tit and a Nuthatch.  We had another Kestrel at the side of the road alongside Burley Wood but nothing else on reaching the Sykes Lane car park.

We walked out to the dam and one of the first birds I noticed was a female Red-breasted Merganser and was presumably one of the three that had been present recently.  We then spent quite some time scanning for the Great Northern Diver which Roger eventually found some distance away off Whitwell.  We went back to the car and set off for the Lyndon Reserve seeing nothing of note.

As we turned into the road leading to the reserve there were two Redwing near the entrance and after parking we went to view the feeders, which were unfortunately empty and consequently there were few birds.  We could see a Great White Egret and a Redshank in the pool to the west of the centre but with no sign of any Tree Sparrows we continued to Teal Hide.

I scanned the area towards Manton Bay where I found two more Great White Egrets, one near the sluice and the other in Manton Bay where there was also four Pintail.  David then found a Curlew along Lax Hill shoreline and I found a Black-tailed Godwit near Goldeneye Hide, where there was also a Redshank and two more Great White Egrets.  A flock of Dunlin were observed in flight and when they landed near Goldeneye Hide we counted twenty-two.  Roger then found the Red-necked Grebe to the west of the Old Hall but there was no sign of the recent flock of Red-crested Pochard.

We went back to the Egleton car park for lunch after which I checked the feeders outside the centre where a Marsh Tit paid a brief visit.  From the viewing area there were five Shelduck, six Pintail and eleven Goosander on Lagoon One and two Stonechat just in front of the centre.  Malcolm also found a red-headed Smew on Lagoon Two, but we eventually moved on to the northern lagoons.

A Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over as we approached the badger hide and circa thirty passerines flew into the wood alongside the path.  We stopped along the path to view the area the passerines had flown into and found mainly Siskin and just two Goldfinch that were now feeding in the alders.

We went into Grebe Hide on Lagoon Two and soon found the drake American Wigeon amongst a large flock of wildfowl, most of which were Gadwall.  From Grebe Hide we continued to Crake Hide where we had good views of a couple of Water Rail.  There were plenty of birds in front of Lapwing Hide, mainly Coot, but also a good mixture of commoner wildfowl and I counted a dozen Pintail off Brown’s Island.

As I walked back with David we had a Lesser Redpoll fly over before meeting Chris Park.  Chris informed us that there was a flock of Red-crested Pochard on Lagoon Three and an Oystercatcher on Lagoon Four, which is a god record locally at this time of the year.

We went into Shoveler Hide and counted fourteen Red-crested Pochard and another Water Rail performed exceptionally well just in front of the hide.  What Chris hadn’t mentioned was that a female Marsh Harrier was perched in one of the bushes to the right of the hide and we all missed it.

We moved onto Sandpiper Hide to hopefully find the Oystercatcher and Mike Snow already in the hide indicated where the Oystercatcher was, but it had disappeared, and we could only find Lapwing.  Roger then cried Sparrowhawk flying left to right low over the lagoon and not surprisingly it was flushing all the birds.  The Sparrowhawk disappeared without anyone else seeing it and although we all heard the Oystercatcher calling it wasn’t seen and didn’t return.  Golden Plover began dropping in and there must have been close to 250 by the time we left the hide and there were also a few Dunlin mixed amongst the Lapwings.

When we got back to the viewing area in the centre there were twenty-two Goosander on the lagoon, including eleven males, and eight Little Egrets and three Great White Egrets and then Malcolm picked up a Barn Owl over lagoon two area.  It perched on a post near the path and so we all went back along the path for a better look.  It was still on the post when we got to the gate and then performed well for several minutes before drifting off out of sight.

It had been an excellent day’s birding in which there were some excellent birds amongst a total of ninety species.

A day in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire - November 30, 2017

Roger picked me up at around 06:30 on what was very chilly morning and as we drove to David’s we had a Barn Owl fly over the road not too far from home.  When we arrived at David’s we transferred our gear into his car and set off to pick Ken up in Uppingham.

Our plan was to go to Santon Downham where we were hoping to see some Parrot Crossbills that have been present for a few days.  On route we had a Red Kite and a Buzzard as we approached Peterborough and another Buzzard and four Kestrel between Peterborough and Guyhirn and a Whooper Swan flew over the road whilst we were queuing at the Guyhirn roundabout.  We then had another couple of Kestrels between Downham Market and Santon Downham.

As we approached the St. Helen’s Picnic Site we could see a group of birders looking at a group of pines on the edge of the car park.  After putting on more layers we walked over and joined the other birders where we were able to see three or four Parrot Crossbills intermittently as they fed in the pines.  A Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over and a few minutes later the Parrot Crossbills started to fly out of the trees towards the river and we were surprised when we counted twenty-six as we had only been seeing three or four at any one time.

We walked over to the stream and found several Redwing and after a party of Goldfinch flew out of one of the willows and I then picked up a male Parrot Crossbill and then realised that there were a few in the tree.  They didn’t stay too long but flew towards a group of pines between the stream and the road.  When we checked the pines, there was no sign, but we did see four Little Grebes and a Grey Wagtail on the river.

As Roger and I walked away from the stream we could see Ken still in the car park area but couldn’t see David.  He them appeared on the road and indicated that there were at least some crossbills in the pines they flew towards from the stream.  Again, they were quite difficult to see, often picking a cone off the tree and then dropping out of sight, or at least partially, whilst extracting the seeds from the cones.  With patience several did reveal themselves and I was able to get a few shots of both a male and a female.

Male Parrot Crossbill

Male Parrot Crossbill

Female Parrot Crossbill

The cold eventually began to get to us and we went back to the car park and took shelter near the toilet block hoping the crossbills might return to the original trees.  Ken decided to go back to where we had been seeing them and a few minutes later returned to say they were down on the road drinking.

I followed him back to the road seeing two males drinking but as I pressed the shutter they both flew, and I thought the chance had gone but fortunately there were several others a little further along the road still at a pool and I did manage to get a few shots off.

Male Parrot Crossbills

Male Parrot Crossbill

Female Parrot Crossbill

Female Parrot Crossbill

Female Parrot Crossbill

They eventually all went back into the trees and we suspected that it might be some time before they might come back down to drink again and we decided to head for Lynford Arboretum in the hope of finding a Hawfinch.

It wasn’t too far and after parking we walked to the feeding station in the arboretum where we had several Blue and Great Tits, a couple of Coal Tits, a Marsh Tit, several Blackbirds and a couple of Chaffinch.

With no Hawfinch at the feeders we walked down to the meadow where we have often seen them in the past but was a little surprised by the general lack of birds as we walked down.  When we reached the meadow, there was no sign of any Hawfinch and during a forty plus minutes wait we had seen very little with two Jay and a Marsh Tit being the best.  David had heard Siskin on a couple of occasions, but we couldn’t locate them and eventually returned to feeding station and then the car.

Male Kestrel at Lynford

It was now approaching lunchtime and we decided to go back to Santon Downham for lunch and perhaps further views of the crossbills.  There were still a few birders on the approach road to the picnic site and after a coffee Ken went to join them whilst David, Roger and myself remained in the car for our lunch.  After finishing our lunch, we discussed what to do next and David came up with a plan that I thought was a little ambitious and after picking up Ken and seeing two Parrot Crossbill we headed off towards the Ouse Washes.  As we crossed the bridge towards Santon Downham David spotted an Otter downstream of the bridge.  Ken and Roger saw it briefly from the car but Ken, Roger and I got out for a better look.  I saw the Otter dive twice and when it surfaced for the second time it appeared to be eating something but then dived again and disappeared.

We continued towards the Ouse Washes turning off the A10 to Ten Mile Bottom and after passing through the small hamlet I saw a Curlew in a field.  As we approached Welney we saw a large flock of swans in a field, which were rather distant but appeared be just Whooper Swans, so we continued towards the Welney Reserve.  We didn’t stop at the reserve but just after passing the centre found another large concentration of swans, that were a little closer.  Again, they all appeared to be Whooper Swans, but Ken and I risked the elements and got our scopes out to get a better look.  Ken said he thought he had a Bewick’s Swan and provided directions and I got on the bird I thought he meant and confirmed that it was a Bewick’s and David and Roger then got out of the car to look.  We couldn’t find any more but many of the birds were not identifiable due to their position in the flock and there could have been others, although the single Bewick’s wasn’t tending to mix with the large flock of Whoopers.

We had seen another Kestrel at Welney and then another between there and March and another two were then observed before we turned and headed for the car park at Eldernell.

It was bitterly cold here, so we observed the washes from the comfort of the car.  Other than a large flock of corvids and a constant stream of Woodpigeon and a single Kestrel perched near the sluice gate there didn’t appear to be a great deal else. I then picked up a distant Marsh Harrier and David had a Kingfisher fly over which nobody else saw.  He then said I got a Short-eared Owl, which disappeared prompting the rest of us to get out of the car and rushed to the bridge to view the large meadow to the east.  Initially we didn’t see anything but then Roger picked it up as it flew west and after watching it briefly we went back to the car, where we had further views both in flight and on the ground.  David then said we will give it another ten minutes and then head off as the light was beginning to fade.  A few minutes later he said get on these I think they are Cranes flying west.  We all got on the birds and confirmed that there were four Cranes heading west.  As I watched them disappear behind a nearby tree I noticed two more on the ground.  Ken was now out of the car and rushed back grabbing his scope and saying they are on the ground.  Whilst he was out of the car the two Cranes became three as one, a juvenile, had been hidden by the two adults.  When Ken came back to the car he said he had seen two adults and a juvenile but hadn’t realised that they were different from the four we had seen first.

Whilst we hadn’t got a big list today seeing Parrot Crossbill, which was a year-tick, and also finding our first winter Bewick’s Swan and seeing seven Cranes and a Short-eared Owl at Eldernell and an Otter at Santon Downham made it an excellent day in what were very cold conditions.