A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - April 21, 2018

Roger arrived at around 07:30 and after examining the moths caught last night we headed for David’s who then drove for the day.  We went straight to the Egleton car park at Rutland Water and we were optimistic in getting a few year-ticks.

After parking we walked towards the northern lagoons seeing a Lesser Whitethroat as we approached the end of the winter trail.  We continued along the path towards Plover Hide where we found Chris Hubbard and Chris Park trying to see a Common Nightingale, which was singing near Bittern Hide.  We saw a couple of Sedge Warbler and a Blackcap whilst trying to find the nightingale without success.

We eventually went up the ramp and into Plover Hide to view Lagoon Four.  As we scanned the lagoon we found four Eurasian Oystercatcher, three Pied Avocet, a Common Ringed Plover, a Dunlin and seven Common Redshank.  There was no sign of the Black-tailed Godwits that Chris had seen minutes before or the Turnstone, although he had seen that earlier form Sandpiper Hide.  A Western Osprey was on the man-made nest briefly and there were just four Common Shelduck, a single Northern Shoveler and a Eurasian Wigeon visible from the hide and we eventually decided to go to Shoveler Hide on Lagoon Three.

As we were walking down the ramp I suggested we should go into Bittern Hide to see if we could see a Eurasian Reed Warbler that had been heard earlier, but as we reached the bottom of the ramp a WhatsApp message from Chris Park said he had seen a Northern Fulmar from Lapwing Hide but that it had flown into the South Arm towards Manton Bay.

After a quick chat David convinced us that we should head for Lapwing Hide but Roger and I weren't very optimistic in catching up with the fulmar.  David who was in front of Roger and I alerted us there was a Eurasian Reed Warbler singing alongside the path but before we reached the spot another WhatsApp from Chris indicated that the fulmar was back on view and so we increased our pace and arrived in Lapwing Hide a few minutes later.  Chris Hubbard was also in the hide and they were watching the Northern Fulmar flying east along the Lyndon shoreline.  I eventually got on the bird but is was some distance away, but it gradually came towards the Old Hall and then towards us but passed over rather quickly, making it impossible to get a photo as we were looking into the sun.  We went out of the hide and watched the bird as it circled to the west and gradually gaining height before heading off towards the North Arm and disappearing.  It wasn’t seen again, and it was only my second ever recorded for the counties, the last being at Eyebrook Reservoir on the August 9^th ,1979.

We went back into the hide were there was a single drake Common Goldeneye and a Cetti's Warbler singing nearby.  A Whimbrel was them heard and seen as it flew by the hide only to be followed by two more a few minutes later.  I also saw a Western Barn Owl near the Lyndon Centre but failed to get anyone on it.

We headed back along the track and although the Eurasian Reed Warbler was singing well it kept out of sight amongst the reeds, but we did see another Sedge Warbler.  We dropped into Shoveler hide on Lagoon Three and found the second-summer Mediterranean Gull amongst the Black-headed Gulls on it preferred island.  There were ten Common Pochard on the lagoon and a single Common Shelduck flew in before we moved to Sandpiper Hide on Lagoon Four.

David picked up another Whimbrel on the far group of exposed rocks and then he found the Ruddy Turnstone on the end of island nine.  Chris then pointed out a Little Ringed Plover on one of the islands and we then heard a Common Cuckoo and Chris and I picked it up as it flew north towards the fishponds.  We also had a Eurasian Sparrowhawk and six Common Buzzard over Burley Wood.

We then headed back to the centre seeing a Great Spotted Woodpecker as we did so.  Back in the centre we scanned Lagoon One and David indicated that he had a wader on the central area of the exposed island.  He said it would probably turnout to be just a Common Redshank but when I got it in the scope it clearly had too finer bill and wasn’t bulky enough and I suspected that it might be a Wood Sandpiper.  The light wasn’t helping as it was almost impossible to get any details with just a silhouette view most of the time, although I was sure I could see the spangling on the upperparts on a couple of occasions.  Chris Hubbard was also coming to the same conclusion that it was a Wood Sandpiper and when Chris Park arrived he agreed with the identification.

Great Spotted Woodpecker near the badger hide

After lunch went back to view Lagoon One where we found the Wood Sandpiper was still present, but shortly afterwards it flew off high to the north. David then picked up a first-summer Little Gull in South Arm Three.

Oystercatcher on Lagoon One

We then went back towards the northern lagoons and I suggested that we should go to Dunlin Hide as I suspected that Sandpiper Hide might be full.  David decided he would go to Sandpiper, whilst Roger and I went to Dunlin.  When we entered Dunlin Hide it was quite full, although we did manage to get seats and a few minutes later David appeared saying that Sandpiper was packed.  There wasn’t a great deal different on the lagoon although we did find two more Dunlin and a single Little Ringed Plover and Chris Hubbard re-found the Wood Sandpiper at the back of the lagoon, with Chris Park finding a Northern Raven over Burley Wood.   David then went back to Shoveler Hide on Lagoon Three, but Roger and I stayed but all I saw extra were a pair of Linnet.

I called David, who was now in Lapwing Hide, to let him know that Roger and I were on our way back to the centre and suggested we should perhaps call at Eyebrook Reservoir on route home.

We made another quick visit into the centre where there was now a Common Greenshank where we had seen the Wood Sandpiper earlier but nothing else and so we left for Eyebrook Reservoir.

I saw at least twenty Common Tern, which was a considerable increase on my last visit and we also heard Willow Warbler and Common Chiffchaff, along with additional Sedge Warbler, Blackcap and Lesser Whitethroat to those we had observed.

When we reached Eyebrook Reservoir it was quiet with just two Common Shelduck and eleven Common Terns of note and so we called it a day and headed off home.  I had recorded eighty-seven species during the day, three of which, Wood Sandpiper, Common Whitethroat and Nightingale, were year-ticks and Northern Fulmar and Ruddy Turnstone were new county year-ticks and moved my totals onto 186 and 151 respectively.