Roger picked me up around 07:30 and we then went to David’s before making
our way to Eyebrook Reservoir. It was
quite foggy and consequently we saw very little on route, but as we approached
the reservoir there were circa sixty Fieldfare in the field and the old
oak. As we turned towards the bridge I
saw a Western Barn Owl, which had obviously been perched on the side of the road,
but it flew up and over the plantation and both David and Roger missed it. We continued around to view the inlet but
with water level still being very high there was very little, which also
applied to the rest of the reservoir. A
brief stop at the feeding station at Stoke Dry produced a couple of Common
Chaffinch and a Common Reed Bunting but with little else we made our way to
Rutland Water.
As it was quite foggy we went to the Lyndon Reserve, going into the
centre to observe the feeders. As usual
there was a constant coming and going of birds that included a Great Spotted
Woodpecker, a Coal Tit, several Blue and Great Tits, a European Robin, a
Dunnock, a House Sparrow, three Eurasian Tree Sparrows and several Common
Chaffinch, European Greenfinch and European Goldfinch and a single Common Reed
Bunting. Although we could see the water
from the centre we couldn’t see too far and so decided to go to the Egleton
Reserve and walk to the northern lagoons.
After parking we walked to the centre and checked the feeders but there
was nothing of note and after checking the book, where very little was reported
for yesterday we made our way to Dunlin Hide on Lagoon Four.
A Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over as we approached Badger Hide and we
then stopped near the feeding station where we eventually all managed to see a
Brambling, which was a nice male. We
heard Willow Warbler, Common Chiffchaff and Blackcap as we made our way along
the Winter Path where two Green Woodpeckers were also quite vocal.
When we reached Dunlin Hide to observe Lagoon Four the visibility was
very poor, and we were unable to see the far side of the lagoon. We were hoping to find the American Wigeon
but there was no sign and all we found were three Common Redshanks, a couple of
Barn Swallows and a Western Yellow Wagtail.
We moved onto the area of scrub between Shoveler and Bittern Hides but
the hoped-for Sedge Warbler remained silent and from Bittern Hide we were just
able to make out the second-summer Mediterranean Gull amongst the Black-headed
Gulls on Lagoon Three.
With a report of several House Martins from Lapwing Hide we made our way
back, hearing a Blackcap but the Sedge Warbler remained silent, before we
turned along the track to Lapwing Hide.
When we reached the hide we couldn’t see that far but there were several
hirundine feeding close to the hide.
Most were Barn Swallow but there were also a few Sand Martin and David
and I picked up a single House Martin.
Roger, who needed it for a year-tick, didn’t see it and then they moved
further away to the edge of the visibility, when they became just
silhouettes. They did comeback and Roger
then managed to find two House Martin before we left the hide. The only other birds we saw were a few Tufted
Duck and ten Common Goldeneye.
We went into Shoveler Hide to view Lagoon Three and found the
Mediterranean Gull on top of one of the terracotta pots. There was also two Common Shelduck, a Little
Egret and a single Common Pochard.
With the weather still quite bad we made our way back to the car park and
went into the centre to eat our lunch.
As we were approaching the centre I received a text from Roger Brett
informing me that there was a Little Gull on Lagoon One, which would be a
year-tick for David. We went up to the
viewing area, finding Andy Brett, who then gave us direction for the
first-summer Little Gull. It was clearly
the same bird I had seen on Tuesday but wasn’t easy to pick out, in the fog, as
it flew amongst a small party of Black-headed Gulls.
We went back downstairs for our lunch and with the visibility looking a
little better we went back to Dunlin Hide hoping for a better result. We saw a
Common Chiffchaff on route, however when we reached the hide the visibility
wasn’t a great deal better, although we could now just make out the back of the
lagoon. We hadn’t been in the hide long
when another text from Roger indicated that there was a Common Greenshank on
the lagoon. I gave him a call to see
where it was, and we found out it was on the back of island seven and out of
sight for us. Andy indicated that it was
making its way to the far end of the island and just afterwards David announced
it was in view. I got the scope on it
and I watched it as it went back behind the island again. Andy and Roger then joined us, and we saw the
Common Greenshank on a couple more occasions but never more than a brief
view. David then found what he thought
was the Pink-footed Goose on the far bund, close to several Greylag Geese. We all manged to get on the bird, but the
visibility was making very difficult but we all agreed that it was the
Pink-foot. Andy and Roger then departed,
and we left shortly afterwards, heading for the car park and an early bath as
the weather wasn’t improving.
As we walked back we had a brief view of a male Blackcap along the Winter
Trail and a Eurasian Treecreeper near Badger Hide but with the weather
appearing to close again we were soon on our way home.
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