Rod's Birding: A day in Leicestershire & Rutland

I left home this morning in rather windy conditions and headed for Eyebrook Reservoir, seeing sixteen Red-legged Partridge as I entered Blaston and a Common Buzzard as I climbed Blaston Hill.

I went into the corral and began scanning the exposed mud and found a single Black-tailed Godwit near the mouth of the stream. There were fifteen European Golden Plover amongst the flock of Northern Lapwing and I then found three Ruff and two Dunlin. There was another Red Kite over the reservoir and a Little Egret flew in from the south and dropped into the stream. A distant flock of Tufted Duck contained four Common Pochard and there were good numbers of Gadwall, Eurasian Wigeon and Eurasian Teal and a few Northern Shoveler.

I moved on but a stop at the bridge produced nothing of note and a stop along the Rutland bank produced three Northern Pintail and a Common Goldeneye in flight and I also saw another two Red Kites and a Common Buzzard.

I left Eyebrook Reservoir and headed for the Lyndon Reserve at Rutland Water, seeing a Common Kestrel in Stoke Dry and a Red Kite just as I reached the turning to the reserve.

After parking in the Lyndon car park, I walked the short distance to Teal Hide hoping to find the Red-necked Grebe in the South Arm. There was a Yellow-legged Gull on the Manton Bay bund, along with nine Little Egrets and there were another four Little Egret on the bund across Heron Bay. As I scanned into South Arm Three I found three Great Egret between Gadwall Hide and the far point of Brown’s island and another Little Egret. I then picked up a small party of waders that landed on the island, when I was able to see at least two Common Ringed Plovers and several Dunlin. There was a Red Kite to the south as I went back to the car and a Common Kestrel was hunting over the field as I drove up the road from the car park.

I drove around to the unnamed road to view the North Arm and after parking near the gate scanned the fishponds where I found two more Great Egret and a Northern Pintail. I then walked through the gate and found thirteen Little Egrets on the bund along with yet another Great Egret. I scanned the north shore where there was another two Great Egrets and five Northern Pintail. There were twenty-three Egyptian Geese on the end of the spit and another two Great Egret along with twelve Northern Pintail towards the fisherman’s car park and also two Little Egrets.

I made a brief visit to the Old Hall for another attempt for the Red-necked Grebe but like earlier there was no sign, although it was quite difficult looking due to the now strong westerly wind. I did see three Common Ringed Plover and six Dunlin on the exposed shoreline, which were presumably the same birds that I had seen earlier on the island.

From the Old Hall I drove around to the Egleton Reserve and went into the centre to view Lagoon One where there was a Great Egret and Little Egret towards the Wet Meadow and I could see yet two more Great Egrets on Lagoon Two. A female Western Marsh Harrier was seen briefly between the swift tower and Brown’s Island and there were four Little Grebes on the lagoon. I then noticed the Western Marsh Harrier over South Arm Three and it dropped onto the water with its wings outstretched and slightly raised. When it tried to get up off the water it had clearly caught something, which I suspected was a Eurasian Coot but after several attempts it dropped it into the water as it was clearly too heavy for it to lift. It was then mobbed by several gulls and eventually gave up and disappeared behind Brown’s Island. Whilst watching the area where the harrier had disappeared there was some disturbance as quite a few Eurasian Teal flew from the area and I suspect it was the harrier causing the problem, but I then picked up a Peregrine Falcon that also appeared to disappear behind Brown’s Island. Gerry then joined me and found the Peregrine Falcon sat on a rocky island on the lagoon and I could see that it was a large juvenile and presumably the bird I had seen on Lagoon Four on Saturday.

After lunch I made my way to Crake Hide as there had been plenty of birds there on Saturday but on arrival there were far fewer with just five Little Egrets and a Common Buzzard observed before I moved onto Lapwing Hide.

Little Egret with a Perch

Little Egret

There were few birds reasonably close and the main concentration was near Fieldfare Hide and beyond and so I didn’t stay too long but I did see two Peregrine Falcons over Brown’s Wood, which were presumably a male and the juvenile female. The female Western Marsh Harrier was also patrolling the shore near Brown’s Island, which is probably why there were few birds near the hide.

As I walked back I met Brian and Rosie and we nipped into Smew Hide and found one of the Great Egret quite close, but some closer Eurasian Teal flew, and the egret went with them to the far side of the lagoon and so we went to Shoveler Hide on Lagoon Three.

There was a good number of Tufted Duck on Lagoon Three but other than a single Common Redshank there was very little else and we moved onto Sandpiper Hide on Lagoon Four.

The water level on Lagoon Four is rising and therefore there was a nice concentration of Northern Pintail feeding amongst the emergent vegetation.

Northern Pintail

There were seventeen Northern Pintail in total and a European Stonechat was observed briefly in front of the hide but moved off towards Dunlin Hide. There were two Common Buzzards just to the right of the Volunteer Training Centre and a immature male Common Kestrel provided some nice views.