Monday 9 March
The sun may have been shining when I got up but upon arriving at at
Rutland Water a few minutes to eight I was welcomed by a slight drizzle. Maybe twenty minutes a the Visitors Centre's Feeding Station but no sooner setting off towards Lagoon 2 and the rain become more persistent so necessitating a period of observation at the Redshank Hide looking at blue skies and direct sun whist the rain fell from behind!
Approaching the
Visitors Centre I had a mixture of
Carrion Crow and
Wood Pigeon and, upon arrival in the car park, no shortage of either
Jackdaw or
Blackbird. Suitably clad I made my way to the Feeding Station where I found a couple of hen Pheasants and as many
Robins. mainly
Blue Tits to start plus a very hungry
Reed Bunting.
|
Female (above) and male Reed Bunting Emeriza schoeniclus |
Then came the
Chaffinches and
Great Tits along with a number of
Dunnocks and more
Blackbirds. The
Rooks were scurrying around at the top of the nearby rookery and even a
Moorhen arrived to make use of the pond.
|
Dunnock Prunella modularis |
No sooner had I started to walk north than the rain became more persistent but I did see the
Oystercatcher as left the VC and then a lone
Goldfinch. Stopping at the
Redshank Hide to let the rain shower pass over, Immediately had selection of ducks including
Wigeon,
Gadwall,
Tufted Duck,
Mallard and
Teal before adding
Great White Egret,
Coot,
Cormorant and
Canada Goose. Plenty of
Black-headed Gulls about and then I s[potted both the
Little Egret and a pair of
Collared Doves exploring one of the gull nest boxes. Finally, a
Mute Swan flew over as I departed the hide.
|
Great White Egret Egretta alba |
As I made my way towards the
Sandpiper Hide overlooking a very full Lagoon 4 a
Great Spotted Woodecker was hammering away as if no tomorrow and once inside the shelter many more
Black-headed Gulls to be seen along with
Teal,
Wigeon,
Tufted Ducks and a pair of
Great Crested Grebes. A few
Shelduck were resting on the large island to front-center and to the far left a lone
Lapwing plus a small number of
Black-tailed Godwits. Lovely to see the
Greylag Geese looking so smart and fresh.
|
Greylag Geese Anser anser |
The
Shoveler Hide overlooking lagoon held many of the above birds but also
Shoveler and viewing the water from the
Buzzard Hide I also had a close view of a departing
Heron. However, it was the
Smew Hide that turned up trump with a very close female
Goosander on the northern end of Lagoon 2.
|
Female Goosander Mergus merganser |
So back to the Visitors Centre where, through the window, I had a perfect sighting of a male
Smew and a little further out to the right a
Great Black-backed Gull. Just the one
Little Grebe noted in the nearby water to my right.
|
Male Smew Mergellus albellus taken through the window |
A quick visit to the
Burley Fishponds produced nothing new but there ten
Magpies in the field as I passed by. So back by the same route and then on to the
Lyndon Visitors Centre. Having only re-opened at the week-end, the seed hoppers were full and scores on small birds in attendance above the two pairs of
Mallards making use of the pond, albeit they were joined by a couple of
Moorhen during my stay. Lots of
Blue and
Great Tits along with very many
Chaffinches and a good number of both
Goldfinch and
Greenfinch. Three male
Reed Buntings were ever present and we had an occasional visit from both
Dunnock and
Robin. Mind you, all were scattered to the four corners of the wind as a male
Sparrowhawk flashed through the feeding area - but striking a single bird.
|
Male Brambling Fringilla montifringilla |
However, it was not the one short visit from a
Coal Tit that was the "bird of the moment" but the two "lengthy" visits to the seed hopper by a male
Brambling that gave all present plenty of time to admire its plumage and state of moult. finally, a couple of
Tree Sparrows arrived along with a single
House Sparrow and then it was time to make my way home and approaching the end of the water a
Red Kite graced me with its presence to give a final total of
46 species.
|
Dunnock Prunella modularis |
Birds seen:
Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Shelduck, Gadwall, Wigeon, Mallard, Shoveler, Teal, Tufted Duck, Smew, Goosander, Pheasant, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, Little Egret, Great White Egret, Heron, Red Kite, Sparrowhawk, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Black-tailed Godwit, Black-headed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch, Brambling, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Reed Bunting.
|
Carrion Crow Corvus corone corone |
|
Courting Great Crested Grebes Podiceps cristatus |
|
Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo |
|
Teal Anas crecca |
|
Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula |
|
Little Egret Egretta garzetta |
|
Duck and gulls on Lagoon 4 |
Check out the accompanying website at http://www.birdingaxarquia.weebly.com for the latest sightings, photographs and additional information
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