Today’s visit was a last minute job so I was very pleased the weather decided to stay fine and dry all day, arrived just gone 10am, I’d made my mind up I was going to do it differently this time and start at the Redshank hide instead of the Plover hide.
I did have a good look around while I was making my way to the Redshank hide and with the grasses and undergrowth now fully grown it was hard to spot any small birds around but did manage a few these will be in the walk about list at the bottom of the page.
Due to the lack of updates on the Rutland Water Web Site I didn’t know what to expect, not even this web site Latest Leicestershire & Rutland Bird News had given much information out since the regular gentleman had gone on holiday or working away.
As I said earlier I started at the Redshank hide then moved onto the Grebe Hide from there it was the New Bittern Hide after this was the Plover hide then back to the Shoveler hide followed by the Dunlin hide and then the Sandpiper hide from here I visited the Osprey hide before returning to the visitor centre and while I waited for my taxi back to the train station I did the Garden watch point.
On a different point I will not be putting up the locations to which I saw the following chicks/young – Lapwing, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, Oystercatcher, Black headed gull, Blue tit, Great crested grebe, Canada goose, Greylag goose and a lifer for me Shelduck chicks x2.
I did see many different types of insect on my way round but unfortunately I am not the best in the world at naming them, but some I do know so here goes – Large white, Red admiral, Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Orange tip, Comma butterflies and Common Blue, Beautiful and Azure Dameselflies
So now onto the Species (63 seen today) from each hide –
SPECIES SEEN TODAY –
WHILE BETWEEN HIDES –
Collared dove, Blue tit, Wood pigeon, Song thrush, Jackdaw, Blackbird, Whitethroat, Dunnock, Chiffchaff, Cetti’s warbler, Mistle thrush, lesser lack backed gull, Black headed gull, Carrion crow, Cormorant & Goldfinch.
REDSHANK HIDE –
Mute swan, Mallard, Swallow, Jackdaw, Wood pigeon, Coot, Tufted duck, Carrion crow, Common tern, Grey heron & Little egret
GREBE HIDE –
Black headed gull, Stock dove, Tufted duck, Little egret, Oystercatcher, Mallard, Coot, Lapwing, Swallow, Blackbird, Carrion crow & Sand martin
[B]NEW BITTERN HIDE [/B]–
Avocet (landed behind the reeds in front to the left), Black headed gull, Tufted duck, Common tern, Great crested grebe, Mute swan, Coot, Reed bunting, Reed warbler, Cormorant & Sedge warbler
PLOVER HIDE –
Mute swan, Great crested grebe, Common tern, Mallard, Oystercatcher, Ringed plover, Lapwing, Carrion crow, Egyptian goose, lesser black backed gull, Jackdaw, Stock dove & little gull
DUNLIN HIDE –
Oystercatcher, Coot, Lapwing, Common tern, Gadwall, Whimbrel, Carrion crow, Jackdaw, Little ringed plover, Great crested grebe, Great black backed gull, Mute swan, Lesser black backed gull, Egyptian goose, Ringed plover & Greylag goose
SHOVELER HIDE –
Common Gull (fly over), Black headed gull, House martin, Sand martin, Moorhen, Shelduck , Tufted duck, Mute swan, Green sandpiper x7, Mallard, Coot, Great crested grebe & Kestrel
SANDPIPER HIDE –
Lapwing, Common tern, Mute swan, Black tailed godwit x4, Curlew x2, Little egret, Lesser black backed gull, Black headed gull, Tufted duck, Little gull x3 & Herring gull (being attacked by common terns)
OSPREY HIDE –
Coot, Mute swan, Hobby, Gadwall, Pochard, Mallard, Tufted duck, Swallow, Sand martin, Blackbird, Common tern & Lapwing
BIRD CENTRE (upstairs viewing) –
Pheasant, Common tern, Jackdaw, Canada goose, Mallard, Great crested grebe, Magpie, Wood pigeon, Cormorant, Goldfinch, Black headed gull, Stock dove, Coot, Grey heron, Swallow, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Shelduck, Black tailed godwit (x33 dropped in), Lesser black backed gull & Starling
GARDEN VIEWING SCREEN –
Jackdaw, Collared dove, Chaffinch, Great tit, House sparrow, Blackbird, Robin, Wood pigeon, Sparrowhawk & Tree sparrow (in the hedge row opposite the car park)
Will be visiting again around September time and will make an effort to visit the following hides Buzzard, Smew, Crake, Mallard, Harrier, Fieldfare, Gadwall, Robin, Goldeneye, Wigeon, Heron, Kingfisher, Oystercatcher, Shelduck, 360, Pintail, Tern & Snipe also the Lyndon side of the reserve as I have never been there and have a few hours on the Dam sometime in the future.
If anyone as visited these hides and can give me advice as to what can be seen this year from them I would be extremely grateful.
Hope you’ve enjoyed my little write up
Adrian
