Leicestershire and Rutland Birding/Local Patches (1 Viewer)

[Neil Hagley]

Hi All,i'm a first winter birder and i'm planning a trip to Rutland,Long and Short Eared Owls ,GNDiver,Scaup,BN and Slav Grebe would all be life ticks for me,any tips would be appreciated also i have a scope on order(should arrive next week)would it be worth waiting for it to arrive before i went or will bins do ?

Hi Mick
Scope for stuff on the water definitely. If you just have bins it will be very frustrating. Good luck.

 

[mickbe74]

Hi Mick
Scope for stuff on the water definitely. If you just have bins it will be very frustrating. Good luck.

Thanks for the reply Neil.

 

[mickbe74]

Right then i have my scope and barring a disaster will be coming your way Sunday any tips appreciated (parking etc),are the owls viewable at certain times of the day ?.Also i understand Rutland is open at 9am and i'm an early birder any tips where i can go before it opens ? Also any info on visiting Eyebrook maybe on the same day ?

 

[Steve Lister]

Right then i have my scope and barring a disaster will be coming your way Sunday any tips appreciated (parking etc),are the owls viewable at certain times of the day ?.Also i understand Rutland is open at 9am and i'm an early birder any tips where i can go before it opens ? Also any info on visiting Eyebrook maybe on the same day ?

Rutland Water: maybe start at the dam and walk towards Normanton church (male Smew and flok of up to 11 Scaup) or look in the North Arm from below Barnsdale Hotel (GNDiver and 2 Black-necked Grebes).

The reserve at Egleton is accessible before 9.00. Walk right towards Fieldfare Hide (c15 minutes) for the two Long-eared Owls that remain. They can be very difficult to see, or very obvious. I saw them yesterday but struggled to show them to other people. Carry on to Gadwall Hide to look for Slavonian Grebe. From the seat at the top of lax Hill scan for the two White-fronts and three Pink-feet with the Greylag flock on distant fields.

At the end of the day (say 5.30) try Shoveler Hide for Bitterns roosting on the edge of the reeds, a few Smew and also a chance of Otter.

Also around.....
2 Little Egrets, Ruff, Oystercatchers, 3 Green Sandpipers, etc etc.

Steve

 

[Dint See It]

Is the slavonian grebe definitely showing at gadwall hide?

 

[Dint See It]

are there any red crsted pochard still around?

 

[Parker]

Is the slavonian grebe definitely showing at gadwall hide?

If you don't see Slavonian Grebe at Rutland then try Eyebrook res, we had one there yesterday, which has been there a while now. We had it south of the island which is at the southern end of the res. There were also a couple of Goosander & there has been a Green winged Teal wintering again but we only had a quick look yesterday as we were heading for Rutland to look for Otters, we dipped.

Good luck for your visit & I hope you have a good day.

Cheers, Neil.

 

[mickbe74]

Rutland Water: maybe start at the dam and walk towards Normanton church (male Smew and flok of up to 11 Scaup) or look in the North Arm from below Barnsdale Hotel (GNDiver and 2 Black-necked Grebes).

The reserve at Egleton is accessible before 9.00. Walk right towards Fieldfare Hide (c15 minutes) for the two Long-eared Owls that remain. They can be very difficult to see, or very obvious. I saw them yesterday but struggled to show them to other people. Carry on to Gadwall Hide to look for Slavonian Grebe. From the seat at the top of lax Hill scan for the two White-fronts and three Pink-feet with the Greylag flock on distant fields.

At the end of the day (say 5.30) try Shoveler Hide for Bitterns roosting on the edge of the reeds, a few Smew and also a chance of Otter.

Also around.....
2 Little Egrets, Ruff, Oystercatchers, 3 Green Sandpipers, etc etc.

Steve

Thankyou Steve

 

[Dint See It]

Thanks Neil

 

[Steve Lister]

are there any red crsted pochard still around?

No

 

[Steve Lister]

Is the slavonian grebe definitely showing at gadwall hide?

It was on Friday afternoon.

But it could be anywhere in the South Arm, especially when the construction work in front of Goldeneye Hide is in action.

Steve

 

[kevside]

Ravens over Hinckley

There was a pair of ravens over Hinckley this morning, I was going towards the town centre to get my hair cut, walking past the Leisure centre car park and i heard them calling thinking "wtf was that", looked up and there they were so i rushed back home and watched them circle around from my room for a bit. wasn't expecting that.

 

[Adey Baker]

There was a pair of ravens over Hinckley this morning, I was going towards the town centre to get my hair cut, walking past the Leisure centre car park and i heard them calling thinking "wtf was that", looked up and there they were so i rushed back home and watched them circle around from my room for a bit. wasn't expecting that.

I heard one a few weeks ago when I was in Sheepy Wood. They've certainly colonised the county recently. This morning, I was just a few miles away from Hinckley watching Raven several Buzzards and a pair of Peregrines (all in the air at the same time at one point) - not many years ago, we'd have gone to Wales for this kind of show!

The Peregrines were joined by this 'madam' below - a young female (very broad across the beams compared to the resident female) wearing falconers' jesses:

 

[Adey Baker]

A Whimbrel and a White Wagtail at Brascote Pits this morning. The Whimbrel flew off northwards just before midday and the wagtail melted away into the site somewhere...

 

[karpman]

Shot down there about 6.30pm just incase, I am normally there every Saturday

Great patch bird though! 2 Redshank a couple of Curlew in the back the field.
3 yellow Wagtails Thornton reservoir last night no sign of the redstart!

Karpman

 

[Steve Lister]

With Whimbrels at two sites today, two Bar-tailed Godwits at Rutland water yesterday, and a Hobby at Swithland Res today it looks like the spring might be starting at last.

The next two weeks or so is the peak time to find some of the scarce local migrants like Pied Flycatcher, Wood warbler, Whinchat and Ring Ouzel. Also spring waders like Wood Sandpiper (always scarce and frequently strung), Greenshank and more Whimbrel.

Steve

 

[karpman]

With Whimbrels at two sites today, two Bar-tailed Godwits at Rutland water yesterday, and a Hobby at Swithland Res today it looks like the spring might be starting at last.

The next two weeks or so is the peak time to find some of the scarce local migrants like Pied Flycatcher, Wood warbler, Whinchat and Ring Ouzel. Also spring waders like Wood Sandpiper (always scarce and frequently strung), Greenshank and more Whimbrel.

Steve

Cheers steve wet my appetite, eagerly awaiting morning
karpman:t:

 

[karpman]

Hey guys,

Gonna be Running a bit of a Blog for Brascote pits and surrounding areas.
Web addy along with twit if anyone is interested.

Cheers
karpman

 

[Adey Baker]

A rare 'bird' appearing out of the haze in the Leicestershire skies yesterday morning :

 

[karpman]

A rare 'bird' appearing out of the haze in the Leicestershire skies yesterday morning :

LOL nice one!

I for one have been enjoying a little of the very clear sky's!
Back to streaky sky's it seems tomorrow

karpman