Rutland Water 15th May 2012

Rutland Water 15th May 2012

On the last day of our holiday we had intended to go back to Cley Marshes but it was so wet when we were packed and ready to go that we decided to go straight to Rutland Water where we were due to stay at the Barnsdale Lodge Hotel (which proved to be a great place – and reasonably priced, perhaps due to last minute booking). As it happens our drive took quite some time so by the time we were settled in on the 14th there was no time to do anything except take a walk around the north edge of Rutland Water where we saw a number of the usual birds but we also saw a Kestrel and a Peregrine in close succession so it was interesting to look at their appearance and manner of flight together. On the 15th Anne wanted to go to a local garden before heading back for Manchester but I thought I would have a look again at the Rutland Water reserve on the south and west side and since, when we last stayed here on our way down to Suffolk, we had not really been able to get to many of the hides at the Egleton section of the reserve due to flooding.

It was a little drier this time, as it happens, so I was able to get to all the hides I wanted to within the few hours I had. I had about 3 hours or so and in that time I managed to visit about six of the hides to the north side of the site but even then we still hadn’t visited any of the southern part of the Egleton complex. It really would take a few days and we should make a specific visit here again in order to cover all of the site – perhaps in June or July when the Ospreys have young. to feed.

To recap, I decided that I would not have time to do all the hides so I concentrated on the hides to the north of the visitor centre which we had partly done on our previous visit. Even then I have to say it was so interesting walking to the hides that I spent a lot of my time trying to locate the and identify the various warblers that could be heard in the trees and bushes. I managed to locate two different Blackcaps and two different Chiffchaffs but there were other species I just could not place. I spent a lot of time with the field guide and my ipod bird song guide just trying to nail a few birds. I do not seem to have the chance to do this often but this time I was entirely on my own and there wasn’t another soul to be seen anywhere. In fact I did not see anyone for three hours until I returned to the visitor centre. So I had a grand time with just the sound of birds and no people or other animals.

I started at the Redshank Hide where I saw the usual Mute Swans, Black-headed Gulls, Shelduck, Tufted Ducks etc. but the stars of the place were undoubtedly the Sand Martins. Rather comically I watched large numbers of these fly all over the water and spent far to long thinking about definite identification before I swung the scope around to see off to the left a huge artificial Sand Martin bank into which dozens of birds were entering then leaving ! I might guess at around 40 Sand Martins but it could easily have been three times that many – they are hard to count !  At the Grebe Hide the birds were largely the same but the numbers of Mute Swans greatly increased but there were also Mallards, an Oystercatcher but, best of all, was a Kestrel perched on a small tree just a few yards from the hide.

At the Sandpiper Hide which overlooks Lagoon 4 there were a half dozen Lesser Back-backed Gulls and more of the usual water birds but was relatively unoccupied. In the air was a different matter as dozens of Swifts – perhaps up to 100 – patrolled the skies swooping low and entirely oblivious as me as they swooped past just feet away from my head. I walked further round to  the Shoveler Hide where there were Lapwings and Avocets. There were what I took to be a number of “tern rafts” there but – as ever – they were fully occupied by Black-headed Gulls. There were still around fifty Common Terns but they had to settle for less salubrious accommodation. I walked around to the Buzzard and Crake Hide but there was nothing new there and time was getting on. Given I was at the far end of the hides it took me quite some time to get back down to the visitor centre again.

I had a quick look at the upstairs hide at the visitor centre where I was told there had been a Mediterranean Gull but I just couldn’t find it anywhere. I did just have time to get a Little Egret, some Cormorants and House Martins flying over Lagoon 1 – this gave me a count of 34 species in thee hours. In the end I could have spent much longer there but I think we have only just scratched the surface of Rutland Water and we certainly have to come back when we have a few days to dedicate to exploring it properly.

Bird Sightings : Rutland Water : Egleton Centre