Visit to Rutland Water Nature Reserve - 14th · 2019-04-18 · Visit to Rutland Water Nature...
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Visit to Rutland Water Nature Reserve - 14 th April 2019 6 members set off from Dronfield at 8.30 am for the 150 mile round trip to Rutland Water to (hopefully) see the Ospreys. Linda & Mick Fairest, Graham Gill, Charles Seymour, Brian Smithson and Malcolm Swift. We decided to make for the car park at the Lyndon Visitor Centre to observe the Ospreys. The weather was cool and cloudy but dry. We were informed 15 year old Maya (the non-ringed wild female) was sitting on 4 eggs and her mate No.33 (male bred at Rutland) was in attendance. From the Visitor Centre window we noted Brambling, Goldfinch and Chaffinch on the bird feeders. On arrival at the Osprey viewing point at Shallow Water Hide we had good views of said nest with female on eggs. The male flew off across the lake only to return sometime later with a large fish. He perched on a fallen tree to strip the flesh off his prize catch. He didn’t seem too keen on sharing. In fact at one stage a Red Kite came into view and slowly glided past the scene hoping for a morsel maybe? In a dead tree surrounded by water were 15 cormorants (known as a Gulp) perched on the branches – a weird sight! After our picnic lunch we headed back towards the car park taking in the Tufted Duck and Deep Water hides en route. Other birds on the water included Canada Geese, Greylag, Wigeon, Shelduck, Shoveler, Gadwall, Teal and 2 Egyptian Geese which flew off. The sound of Blackcaps and Chiff Chaff filled the air as we walked beside the fields of newly born lambs (Easter is upon us). We then moved onto Egleton for a couple of hours. From the visitor centre we took the anti-clockwise path to visit the hides around Lagoons 1,5 & 6. On the way we noticed several Pink-footed Geese grazing on grass alongside Greylag and Canada Geese. Grey Heron, Little Egret, Redshank and Pintail were added to our list. Time was marching on so we backtracked to the car park which was signed to close at 5pm however we were later informed that it closed at dusk! Reporter: Linda Fairest Birds 56 Flora 20 Fungi 1 Insects 1 Mammals 2
Transcript of Visit to Rutland Water Nature Reserve - 14th · 2019-04-18 · Visit to Rutland Water Nature...
Visit to Rutland Water Nature Reserve - 14th April 2019
6 members set off from Dronfield at 8.30 am for the 150 mile round trip to Rutland Water to
(hopefully) see the Ospreys.
Linda & Mick Fairest, Graham Gill, Charles Seymour, Brian Smithson and Malcolm Swift.
We decided to make for the car park at the Lyndon Visitor Centre to observe the Ospreys. The weather
was cool and cloudy but dry. We were informed 15 year old Maya (the non-ringed wild female) was
sitting on 4 eggs and her mate No.33 (male bred at Rutland) was in attendance. From the Visitor
Centre window we noted Brambling, Goldfinch and Chaffinch on the bird feeders.
On arrival at the Osprey viewing point at Shallow Water Hide we had good views of said nest with
female on eggs. The male flew off across the lake only to return sometime later with a large fish. He
perched on a fallen tree to strip the flesh off his prize catch. He didn’t seem too keen on sharing. In
fact at one stage a Red Kite came into view and slowly glided past the scene hoping for a morsel
maybe?
In a dead tree surrounded by water were 15 cormorants (known as a Gulp) perched on the branches
– a weird sight!
After our picnic lunch we headed back towards the car park taking in the Tufted Duck and Deep
Water hides en route. Other birds on the water included Canada Geese, Greylag, Wigeon, Shelduck,
Shoveler, Gadwall, Teal and 2 Egyptian Geese which flew off. The sound of Blackcaps and Chiff
Chaff filled the air as we walked beside the fields of newly born lambs (Easter is upon us).
We then moved onto Egleton for a couple of hours. From the visitor centre we took the
anti-clockwise path to visit the hides around Lagoons 1,5 & 6. On the way we noticed several
Pink-footed Geese grazing on grass alongside Greylag and Canada Geese. Grey Heron,
Little Egret, Redshank and Pintail were added to our list. Time was marching on so we
backtracked to the car park which was signed to close at 5pm however we were later
informed that it closed at dusk!
Reporter: Linda Fairest
Birds 56 Flora 20 Fungi 1 Insects 1 Mammals 2
Lyndon area
Birds Flora Fungi
Black-headed Gull White Dead Nettle Blushing Bracket
Blackbird Bugle
Blackcap Dandelion
Blue Tit Cowslip
Brambling Chionodoxa
Canada Goose Grape Hyacinth
Wren Dog’s Mercury
Carrion Crow Bluebell
Chaffinch Snake’s head Fritillary
Coot Lesser Celandine
Cormorant Blackthorn
Dunnock Red Dead Nettle
Egyptian Goose Forget-me-not
Gadwall Groundsel
Goldfinch Daisy Insects
Great Crested Grebe Primrose
Great Tit Red Campion 7 spot Ladybird
Great-spotted Woodpecker Speedwell sp.
Greenfinch Coltsfoot
Greylag Goose Hawthorn
Herring Gull
House Martin
Jackdaw
Lapwing
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Long-tailed Tit
Magpie
Mallard
Mistle Thrush
Moorhen
Mute Swan
Osprey
Oystercatcher
Pheasant
Pied Wagtail
Red Kite
reed Bunting
Robin
Rook
Sand Martin
Shelduck
Skylark
Sparrowhawk
Swallow
Teal
Tufted Duck
Wigeon
Willow Warbler
Woodpigeon
Egleton area
Birds Flora Mammals
Blackbird White Dead Nettle Brown Rat
Blackcap Bugle Grey Squirrel
Blue Tit Dandelion
Carrion Crow Cowslip
Chaffinch Lesser Celandine
Collared Dove Blackthorn
Cormorant Red Dead Nettle
Egyptian Goose Forget-me-not
Goldfinch Groundsel
Great Tit Daisy
Grey Heron Primrose
House Sparrow
Jackdaw
Lapwing
Little Egret
Osprey
Pheasant
Pink-footed Goose
Pintail
Pochard
Redshank
Rook
Shelduck
Shoveler
Swallow
Teal
Teal
Wigeon
Woodpigeon
