A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - February 24, 2018

Roger and I went to Shawell again today in the hope that the Glaucous and/or Iceland Gull would be present.  It was just before 08:00 when we arrived and there were quite a few gulls in the sand pit but there was no sign of any white-winged gulls.  We remained on site until 09:45 when the cold was getting the better of us but there hadn’t been any sign of the white-winged gulls and there were far fewer gulls than yesterday.  We did see a couple of Red-legged Partridge, three Common Buzzard, five Fieldfare and a Redwing and all the five commoner gulls were present.

We headed off towards Eyebrook Reservoir seeing a Jay before we reached the A4304 to Market Harborough and then a Red Kite just south of Medbourne, near the River Welland.

We turned into the northern approach road to Eyebrook Reservoir but there was no sign of any Little Owls and with the water being high we didn’t stay too long but did see three drake and three red-headed Smew.

The American Wigeon had been reported yesterday on Lagoon Two and a tweet had indicated that it was still present today and so we headed for the Egleton Reserve, seeing a Red Kite as we turned on the road to Egleton.  After a quick check of the feeding station, where there was plenty of activity but nothing unusual we headed for Grebe Hide on Lagoon Two.

Song Thrush in the Egleton Meadows

The hide was empty when we entered, but the light wasn’t good due to the bright sunshine, but I did find the American Wigeon almost directly out from the hide.  There were also two Eurasian Curlew in front of the hide and a couple of Common Pochard on the lagoon.

Carrion Crow in the Egleton Meadows

As we walked toward Sandpiper Hide on Lagoon Four we saw a party of birders go up the ramp to the hide and so we decided to go to Dunlin to view the lagoon.  There was just one birder in the hide and so there was plenty of room.  We started scanning the water and found a Barnacle Goose, two Common Shelduck, two drake and two red-headed Smew, a pair of Goosander and five Eurasian Oystercatcher.  I then saw seven Eurasian Curlew in flight and though one looked a little smaller and darker and suspected it was the long-staying Whimbrel.  They flew away and out of sight and so I went out of the hide but couldn’t find them.  I suggested to Roger that we go to Shoveler Hide on Lagoon Three as they may have come down there.  As we were leaving the hide I heard a Eurasian Curlew calling and they then flew over us flying west.  We went back into the hide and the other birder said they had come down on the west bank and as I looked they flew again but eventually landed on the nearest island and there were eight birds.  I started to scan from the left-hand end and realised that the left-hand bird was the Whimbrel.  I alerted the others and we then had good views of bother Whimbrel and the seven Eurasian Curlew.

Seven Curlew and the Whimbrel

Seven Curlew

The flock of birds then flew onto the west bank to feed and were now further away and more difficult to see in the longer grass and so we went to Shoveler Hide on Lagoon Three.

There wasn’t a great deal on Lagoon Three the best being six Common Shelduck and five Northern Pintail and we were soon on our way back to the car park for lunch.

After lunch we went to the centre and up to the viewing area to view Lagoon One.  There wasn’t a lot on the lagoon with just four Common Shelduck being seen initially.  Anne and Richard joined us, and we had a Common Buzzard over the lagoon and Anne noticed a Stoat, which we all managed to see briefly.  I then found a group of Eurasian Curlew on the south meadow and shortly afterwards Graham and Ricky returned from the northern lagoons.  Anne then found a Red Fox whilst looking for the Eurasian Curlew and shortly afterwards we had a Muntjac and a Brown Hare in the same area.  A party of six Dunlin then flew in from the north but after looking as though they might come down they continued flying to the south.  Another birder then asked if he had a Common Ringed Plover in his scope, which I was able to confirm, and it was my first in the Counties this year.  I then received a WhatsApp message from Andy Mackay indicating that there was an adult Iceland Gull at Eyebrook Reservoir and so Roger and I were soon on our way.

When we arrived at the island coral I went straight in to see if it was still there and found just three unoccupied scopes.  Andy soon appeared, I think concerned about the scopes, as he wasn’t sure who had gone into the coral.  He indicated where the Iceland Gull had been, and Colin and Chris joined us, when Andy said I got an adult Glaucous Gull and I alerted Roger as he needed for a year-tick.  We watched the Glaucous Gull for a few minutes but could find the Iceland Gull and so went to the style to see if it had moved further down the reservoir.  There were plenty of large gulls but unfortunately the Iceland Gull wasn’t amongst them and we called it a day.