Rutland Water (Egleton) Reserve

With the promise of a reasonable day for a change, I decided to pay a visit to the Rutland Water (Egleton) Reserve. I normally visit Rutland twice a year, but I have never been in the winter months. The mud was atrocious  and worsened as the sun melted the frozen areas! The journey to Rutland produced Red Kite and Buzzard.

While waiting for the visitor centre to open, I sat watching Tree Sparrows with Long Tailed Tits and various finches at the feeding station then paid my £4 for a permit and quickly made my way to the Fieldfare hide, where Long Eared Owls had been reported. It took nearly 2hours before one was located, well hidden and impossible to get a picture. While waiting a Willow Tit called and made its way along the hedgerow.

The sheer size of the Egleton Reserve means a lot of walking to do it justice, so with a Long Eared Owl ticked, I made my way to the northern section in the hope of less muddy conditions.  Another problem is that the birds are usually distant, again reducing the photographic opportunities.

On my walk to the northern section, I noted solitary Fieldfare, Redwing and Song Thrush in the fields. Shoveler hide was probably the best with most of the expected ducks. Three drake Smew and three redhead Smew were located on the far bank with the greatest number of Red Crested Pochards I have ever seen - 17 drake and at least 8 duck. The only waders were again solitary, Redshank, Dunlin,Green Sandpiper and Snipe.

At complete list of species seen is posted below.

Fieldfare

Redwing

Shelduck

Goldeneye

Green Sandpiper & Dunlin

Green Sandpiper

Song Thrush

Long Tailed Tits

Chaffinch

Robin

Collared Dove

(More Images on my website - see link opposite)

Todays Sightings:

Red Kite; Buzzard; Collared Dove; Robin; Jackdaw; Chaffinch; Goldfinch; Wood Pigeon; Greenfinch; Bullfinch; Rook; Carrion Crow; Magpie; Great Tit; Blue Tit; Blackbird; House Sparrow; Egyptian Geese; Pheasant; Dunnock; Tree Sparrow; Moorhen; Long Tailed Tit; Coot; Canada Goose; Black Headed Gull; Mute Swan; Mallard; Teal; Wigeon; Tufted Duck; Gadwall; Grey Heron; Kestrel; Long Eared Owl; Willow Tit; Fieldfare; Shoveler; Song Thrush; Redwing; Wren; Pochard; Shelduck; Gossander; Common Gull; Herring Gull; LBB Gull; Lapwing; Cormorant; Goldeneye; Red Crested Pochard; Great Crested Grebe; Smew; Ruddy Duck; Redshank; Snipe; Pied Wagtail; Grey Lag Goose; Green Sandpiper; Dunlin; Great Spotted Woodpecker; Green Woodpecker; Reed Bunting.