Rutland Water in Autumn (1 Viewer)

[James_Owen]

Had a prolonged visit yesterday. My pick-up called ahead to say she would an hour late, so I was trudging around the Egleton reserve after dark, hence the owls I heard.

Not a bad day list, apparently there were Ringed Plover about that I missed and I saw no Marsh/Willow Tit. Bird of the day for me was the Goshawk - my first (#203 for the life list!). Does bring up a question for me though, are they very often seen at Rutland, or was it likely to be a wandering autumn bird finding some open country? Impressive size anyway and clearly a strong bird, before getting my scope located a quick glance with bins had me thinking I'd merely found a Buzzard.

1. Barn Owl (heard)
2. Blackbird
3. Black-headed Gull
4. Blue Tit
5. Bullfinch
6. Canada Goose
7. Carrion Crow
8. Chaffinch
9. Collared Dove
10. Common Gull
11. Coot
12. Cormorant
13. Dunnock
14. Egyptian Goose (2)
15. Fieldfare (c.50)
16. Gadwall
17. Goldcrest
18. Golden Plover
19. Goldeneye (c.20 my first of the season)
20. Goldfinch
21. Goshawk (briefly circled high over the peninsula)
22. Great Crested Grebe
23. Great Tit
24. Green Sandpiper (5+)
25. Green Woodpecker
26. Greenfinch
27. Grey Heron
28. Greylag Goose
29. Herring Gull
30. House Sparrow
31. Jackdaw
32. Jay
33. Kestrel
34. Kingfisher
35. Lapwing
36. Lesser Black-backed Gull
37. Linnet
38. Little Egret
39. Little Grebe
40. Little Stint (2)
41. Long-tailed Tit
42. Magpie
43. Mallard
44. Meadow Pipit
45. Mistle Thrush
46. Moorhen
47. Mute Swan
48. Pheasant
49. Pied Wagtail
50. Pintail
51. Pochard
52. Redshank
53. Redwing
54. Reed Bunting
55. Robin
56. Rook
57. Ruddy Duck
58. Ruff
59. Shoveler
60. Snipe
61. Sparrowhawk
62. Starling
63. Stock Dove
64. Stonechat (at least 6)
65. Tawny Owl (heard being mobbed by crows at 18:30)
66. Teal
67. Tree Sparrow
68. Treecreeper
69. Tufted Duck
70. Water Rail (good views of 3 from quiet hides nobody else stopped to look from)
71. Wigeon
72. Woodpigeon
73. Wren (one of which flew inside the Harrier Hide)

And a few digi-binned (is that the term?) photographs taken through my 8x42s.

 

[PenSketcher]

Wow more birds in one day than in my 14 years of life - tell me your secret!
I love the pics,

 

[James_Owen]

Wow more birds in one day than in my 14 years of life - tell me your secret!

It's the mix of habitat, you have a bit of almost everything at a place like Rutland Water, just add time.

 

[Thadacorn]

That's a lot of birds! I was at Rutland myself on Saturday didn't manage anywhere near those numbers though. Did get great views of a Water Rail, right outside one of the quieter hides, a lifer for me. Extremely jealous of the Goshawk.

Ps that pesky wren in the harrier hide nearly took my eye out, flew within inches of my face when i opened the viewing flap

 

[Nikon Kid]

Like your pics with the bins whats the makes of bins & camera
Nice day out I did like Rutland when I went there last month

 

[fouldsyfoulds]

James

Love Rutland water, I live just 35 mins away and visit regularly, still have not listed your days viewing!

Was lucky to see the Great White Egret last week, and the Hobbys (my first) over the last few weeks before they headed for warmer climates.

The Marsh Tits can be found in the woodland hide on the south arm, can't remeber the name but its worth the walk.

Looking for folkes to go birding with (got some free time as I am on garden leave) so next time your heading that way, meet up and I may see as much as you?

Enjoy it

Fouldsy

 

[James_Owen]

I'm stuck further north for a while now fouldsy so I'll have to let you know. The only advice I can give is to stay there the whole day through and don't be afraid to walk plenty. A place like Rutland will get lots of visitors who stay 2 hours, getting around hardly half of the reserve(s) and probably not seeing very many of the 70-100 species that can be found practically any day of the year.
Just gotta give it time.

 

[halftwo]

James,
Nice accounts & pics of Rutland.
In answer to your Goshawk question: they're not seen often anywhere really, even in places where they are resident. Tend to be secretive & discreet (especially females) - unless displaying (March) - staying put in cover (woods/forest) in which they hunt.
I see them on average about twice a year even though I know where they are.
H

 

[James_Owen]

Thanks halftwo.

Yeah, I get that impression about Goshawk. Know a few places in Derbyshire where they probably breed (even if it has been bad in recent years for persecution in the Peak) but I'd never been in the right place at the right time.
For what it's worth, the Rutland recorder seems skeptical of accepting the bird - rare for the county - which is fair enough, since I admit it was my first and at range, and only I saw it. Me, I'm still confident enough what I saw was sufficiently BIG (we're talking too big for the F Sparrowhawk/M Goshawk range of confusion) and also long enough in the arm for Goshawk, in a way just so noticeably different from the upteen hundreds of Sparrowhawk I've seen over the years. Feel like I have to trust myself on that one.

 

[halftwo]

Yes, they do have a completely different jizz about them, & if a female - Buzzard-size rather unmistakable. You sound confident in what you saw.