I started at the Egleton
Reserve at Rutland Water today and whilst the weather forecast was not too good
I had high hopes as the winds were south-easterly with periods of rain.
After signing in at the Bird
Watching Centre and the rain ceasing I decided to go to lagoon four and managed
to get to sandpiper hide without getting too wet. The lagoon appeared to be fairly quiet but
there were two avocets to the left with one appearing to be sitting on eggs and
I noticed two more towards the back right.
It began to rain quite heavy so I stayed put for a while and was
rewarded with two Arctic Terns flying from the west over the lagoon and heading
off towards lagoon three and possibly south arm three. These were my first of the year and one of
the species I was hoping for. There were
at least four Ringed Plover with one appearing to be sitting on a nest and I also
found two Little Ringed Plovers an Oystercatcher and two Redshanks.
With the rain easing I headed
off to lapwing hide where I found four Arctic Terns over south arm three but
the rain was coming into the hide at right angles making very difficult to use
a scope or binoculars for any length of time as they got soaked. I walked back to crake hide where it was much
more pleasant as the wind was blowing from behind the hide. There was a single Little Egret at the lagoon
sluice and five Ruff were feeding at the edge of south arm three.
I them moved on to smew hide
on lagoon two and buzzard and shoveler hide on lagoon three. There was nothing of note visible form smew
but there were at least ten Common Terns feeding over lagoon three and two
Avocets were feeding to the right over shoveler hide. I moved off to plover hide on lagoon four and
the two Avocets from lagoon three flew onto lagoon four but other than two more
Oystercatchers I saw nothing else.
I walked back to the centre
and drove to the north arm where I had an early lunch before walking out to the
point. Initially there appeared to be
very little accepts a couple of Common Terns but I then noticed a first-year
Little Gull, quickly followed by a superb summer adult and a second first-year
bird. I also found another six Arctic
Terns.
The rain had now eased and I
decided to go back to the centre and walk in the opposite direction. I called at snipe hide where I saw two more
Little Egrets on lagoon one and a single Avocet in the wet meadow. I continued walking towards Lax Hill and
flushed a Short-eared Owl from the ditch alongside the footpath. I checked the south arm from fieldfare hide
but there was nothing of note so I continued to gadwall hide and soon found a
Whimbrel that had been present for a few days.
It was with a Curlew, which provided a good opportunity to observed both
species together. Whilst I was in
gadwall the heavens opened but as the rain eased I continued walking to Lax
Hill calling at goldeneye and robin hides before moving on to wigeon hide where
I was able to see the Ospreys in Manton Bay.
There was also two more Little Egrets present and five Pochards, which
are now quite scarce on the reserve.
There were three
Oystercatchers and a Ringed Plover visible from the new pintail hide and from
harrier hide there was a Short-eared Owl visible, which was roosting in the
grass. A Sparrowhawk also provided some
excellent views.
A final check from the centre
of lagoon one failed to produce anything else and I decided to call it at day.
I called at Eye Brook
Reservoir on route home but cut the stay short due to heavy rain. There was a single summer plumage Dunlin and
c.100 Swallow present and amongst the Swallow I found two Sand Martins and six
House Martins and I also heard a Yellow Wagtail calling.
Whilst the weather had perhaps
not produced the number of migrants I was hoping for, it had still been a good
day with eight-four species recorded.
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