AN AFTERNOON AT RUTLAND AND WOW WAS IT WARM.

I again arranged to meet up with my friends who had travelled up on Wednesday afternoon so as to have a few hours on Thursday morning at Eyebrook with the Short-eared Owls prior to us meeting up at the Egleton Centre at 12.30 hrs.

We had managed at last to have a beautiful day weatherwise with the temperature managing a warm 16.5 deg C, like a fool I still put my coat on and within ten minutes I was baking, I could have just been in shirt sleeves and been plenty warm enough.

We had a steady walk around the hides and at last my friend got a male and female Smew a little closer, we stopped at one point to have a chat with a gent I see on a reasonably regular basis and he lucky chap had the two Smew within twenty metres of him.

Having had a wonderful afternoon we took a steady walk around the various hides and eventually back to the car park and got underway for home.

We have had some extraordinary weather during this last week, who says global warming is not happening.

Canada Geese, Redshank Hide. Lagoon 2.

These two split away from a large number in the middle of the lagoon and swam towards me for a short distance and turned around and returned whence they came.

They are such a proud looking goose.

Greylag Goose, Grebe Hide, Lagoon 2.

This bird decided to have a quick wash and brush up, had to get an image.

Greylag Goose, Grebe Hide, Lagoon 2.

This bird was much closer and on the shore.

Male Smew, Plover hide, Lagoon 4.

This bird came within about 80 metres from us but would not come any closer even though we waited for about 40 minutes, at no time did either of the males put the crest up unfortunately. 

Second male, closer to the corner of the lagoon with some Coots. 

Great White Egret, Bittern Hide, Lagoon 3.

We met up with a couple who had been around the reserve all day and they had seen seven G.W.E., I wonder when they will breed at Rutland Water for the first time.

Mallard Drake, Bittern Hide, Lagoon 3.

Such an underrated bird, we mostly tend to ignore them as just being a Mallard.

Little Grebe, Bittern Hide, Lagoon 3.

This little beauty just suddenly broke surface and I managed a quick image prior to it disappearing  again. 

Male Shoveler, Shoveler Hide, Lagoon 3.

These birds were about in reasonable numbers all over the lagoon .

Another male having a quick preen. 

Drake Shelduck, Shoveler Hide, Lagoon 3.

Several of these ducks swimming about, these are a bird that will usually  when possible nest underground in a disused rabbit hole.

Greylag Goose, Shoveler Hide, Lagoon 3.

Two of these were hanging around near the bird feeders that have been put up near the hide to attract the Bearded Tits. A friend saw a Water Rail on the bird table having its fill and the Grey lag were waiting underneath picking up any spillage. 

Moor Hen, Crake Hide, South Arm 3.

After we had been in the hide for a few minutes, my friend said "can you hear splashing near the water fall."
This is the variable level out flow wear from Lagoon 3 into the main reservoir. Upon having a look through the bins, I could see a Moor Hen swimming about, it then speeded up and was splashing around and then eventually stood on the front of the weir.

Something I have never seen before, this bird was catching fish, this fish is only small, but the bird was having a good feast. 

This time it had caught a much larger specimen.

This time a smaller fish, after this the bird disappeared back into the Lagoon but what an interesting encounter.

Female Smew {Red Head}, Sandpiper Hide, Lagoon 4.

We had seen some females whilst in Plover Hide but they were a silly distance away, this bird was about 80 metres away so it was worth a try.



Thank you for your visit, I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I did in the getting of the images.


For a Dear friend who visits my blog, both my wife and I wish you all the best with your operation and look  forward to seeing you in the non to distant future. The Osprey's are returning and so will you.