Late November at Rutland Water

Wednesday 27 November 2013

The first winter Redwing

A rather pleasant start to the day with a little warm sunshine, calm and some broken cloud; a perfect day for a birding visit to my local patch, nearby Rutland Water.  So all packed up and ready to try out the recently service Canon 400mm f5.6 prime lens, I was at the car park in time to meet up with long-time birding friend, Ron Gregory from Wigston, Leicester. As I put on my walking boots I was conscious of the local Jackdaws all around me a long with a male Blackbird but, best of all, a small number of feeding Redwings, gorging themselves n the masses of berries around the edge of the car park.

I had already seen both Rook and Crow along with a Magpies as I drove alongside the site through Egleton and now it was a question of checking out the main feeding station to see what small birds were currently in residence.  Sad to say, only Chaffinch, Great and Blue Tits along with a hen Pheasant and a pair of Mallards.  However, checking in again on the return journey produced, in addition, Robin, Dunnock, Greenfinch and Goldfinch.

Disatnt Smew at Rutland Water

Off to Lagoon 4 and the Dunlin Hide to check on the numerous wildfowl that were reported to be present.  Small flocks of Common Starlings and the occasional Redwing plus a foraging male Blackcap as we made our way along the track plus numerous Wood Pigeons.  On arrival there were a good number of Mute Swans to be seen plus a variety of ducks in small numbers.  Mallard, Shoveler, Wigeon, Pochard and Shelduck were all recorded along with a sizeable flock of lapwing.  Cormorants were also resting in the area and a Pied Wagtail came to land at the base of the Osprey’s nesting pole.  Overhead and around the water all three local gulls, Black-headed, Lesser Back-backed and Herring Gull, were observed.

Female (above) and male (below) Goldeneye at Rutland Watr

Moving over to lagoon 3 to the Shoveler Hide we duly reached the mass of the ducks.  Here, not only a repeat of those already seen with scores, especially, of Wigeon, but at least three Smew, scores of Teal, a good number of Pintail, a pair of Goosander and a few Goldeneye.  Both Little and Great-crested Grebe were recorded along with many Moorhens and a couple of Grey Herons.  A single female Red-crested Pochard was glimpsed.  From the Buzzard Hide we also saw a Sparrowhawk dash past low against the top of the reeds.  Both Lagoons had produced a few Egyptian Geese but it was this latter water that produced the first Greylag Goose.  From the Buzzard Hide we also got our first good views of Tufted Duck.

A lovey pair of Teal

 

The return journey took in some of the hides overlooking Lagoon 2 and from the Osprey Hide Ron managed to pick out the very brief appearance of a Water Rail that crossed the muddy waste and into the thick reed at the edge.  Also from this hide we managed to pick up our first wader, other than the large flocks of Lapwing, with a lone Redshank.  The final walk back to the car park did produce a couple of Fieldfare and then it was a brief stop at the North Arm to check-out the Fishponds for the reported Long-tailed Ducks.  Unfortunately, no luck but we did find a Black-necked Grebe and a single Greenshank along with hundreds of Coots, scores of Wigeon and a great variety of other ducks and Grey Herons.  Canada Geese as well as Greylags were feeding on the edges on adjacent grasses.  Time to go home, late again, for lunch with the ladies having finally recorded 53 species in the approximate three hours.

One of three Goosander seen on Lagoon 4 at Rutland water

Other sightings at Rutland Water:

 

 

 

From the top:
Redwing
Egyptian Goose
Pintail
Great Crested Grebe with is recntly caught mid-moring snack!
 
Birds seen:

Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Egyptian Goose, Shelduck, Mallard, Gadwall, Pintail, Shoveler, Wigeon, Teal, Pochard, Red-crested Pochard, Tufted Duck, Goldeneye, Goosander, Smew, Pheasant, Little Grebe, Great-crested Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Heron, Sparrowhawk, Water Rail, Moorhen, Coot, Lapwing, Greenshank, redshank, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Gull, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Redwing, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Crow, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch.

An assortment of wildfowl on the Fishpond of the Northern Arm at Rutland Water but no Long-tailed Duck