Huddsbirder

A quick tour of a couple of the patch reservoirs in very windy conditions resulted in bird life being very absent. Broadstones gave me Blackbird, great flocks of Starling, Black Headed Gull and that was about it for Broadstones. Royd Moor was a bit more fruitful with Fieldfare, Redwing, Blackbird, Long Tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Bullfinch ♀ and ♂, Lesser Black Backed, Common and Black Headed Gulls and very much a fly thru Sparrowhawk that went that fast I nearly missed it.

Around the patch today and up to a reservoir I haven’t visited before Boshaw Whams at Hade Edge to see Scaup, this bird being a 1st winter ♂ and had settled in nicely with the other bird life on the reservoir Mallard, Coot, Moorhen and Black Headed Gull I did have also a fly thru Kestrel whilst I was admiring the Scaup. I moved on then down to Ingbirchworth to add Fieldfare, Blackbird, Mistle and Song Thrush to the afternoon list plus a calling Tawny Owl

JACK SNIPE

A few days away at our favourite Bed and Breakfast at Bridge Cottage in Woodnewton, great food, great host, and great location resulted in a days birding at Rutland Water. We arrived at Rutland Water on the 5th November in showery weather but not to be dishearted we  purchased our permits at £4 a time and then had a quick look at the birds from the Centre viewing area these were mostly wildfowl namely Mallard, Shoveler, Teal, Gadwall, Shelduck , and a couple of Ruddy Shelduck, Egyptian Goose, Canada Goose and 1 Little Egret. We decided on a walk to Gadwall hide before dinner seeing Slavonian, Little and Great Crested Grebes, Pintail, Mallard, Teal, and of course Gadwall from here. After a while we made our way to Goldeneye hide to find Black Necked Grebe, pity Red Necked wasn’t about. Back to the centre for dinner and then a move on to Redshank hide to see Jack Snipe and Water Rail both birds giving excellent views, a move then to the newer part of the reserve at the end of the day to see the gulls coming in Black Headed, Great Black Backed and Common were the only ones I picked out but I admit I’m no gull expert, other birds Little Egret, Pied Wagtail, Lapwing, Golden Plover, Coot, Moorhen

Rutland Water is a great place to bird watch and along with all the changes that are going on at the moment with new lagoons and flooded meadows this place will be awesome. See Sites tab for up to date news.

Bird List :-

Little Grebe plenty, Great Crested Grebe plenty, Slavonian Grebe (1), Black Necked Grebe (4 reported), Grey Heron, Cormorant, Mute Sawn, Canada Goose, Egyptian Goose, Greylag Goose, Shelduck, Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Pintail, Shoveler, Pochard, Goldeneye, Goosander, Buzzard, Kestrel, Pheasant, Water Rail, Moorhen, Coot, Golden Plover, Lapwing, Herring Gull, Great Black Backed Gull, Black Headed Gull, Common Gull, Woodpigeon, Collard Dove, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Redwing, Blackbird, Long Tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Jackdaw, Crow, Magpie, Starling, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch,Bullfinch, Tufted Duck, House Sparrow, Ruddy Shelduck, Jack Snipe, Red Kite (from the Motorway)

Once again out to Old Moor but this time it was quieter at Wath Ings hide as we settled in to the view the birds these included Green Sandpiper (5), Ruff (2), Redshank (2) hundreds of Golden Plover and Lapwing. The wildfowl numbers are also building up nicely with Teal and Wigeon being the numerous with Gadwall and Mallard in supporting roles, other birds about Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Common Gull and Black Headed Gull. With reports of Kingfisher at the Family Hide giving good views we decided on a move there we had to wait for 15 minutes but the bird preformed well giving excellent views as it settled on to the branch provided near the hide, no photos I was quick enough. Other birds we saw here Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Cormorant, Shoveler, Linnet and Goldfinch