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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 of November inn 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 Geese, Canada Geese 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 round to Goldedeye 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 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, Coor, 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.

Bird List :-

Little Grebe plenty, Great Crested Grebe plenty, Slavonian Grebe (1), Black Necked Grebe (1 but 4 reported), Grey Heron, Cormorant, Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Egyptian Goose, Greylag Goose, Shelduck, Ruddy Shelduck, Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Pintail, Shoveler, Pochard, Tufted Duck, 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, House Sparrow, Jack Snipe, Red Kite

A noon start at Broadstones Res saw a few Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails going thru along with 6-off Redwings. Looking around a huge flock of Starlings lifted into the sky revealing a Sparrowhawk giving chase and with Little Grebe (3) Great Crested Grebe (1) on the water with the usual host of Mallard and Canada Geese and a handful of Black Headed Gulls. I decided to move into the small wooded area to find Blackbirds, Robin, Wren and the Redwings.

A move then after an hour from here to Ingbirchworth Res to try and find the bird that has been eluding me all year. It took a while and not before seeing a fine male Great Spotted Woodpecker, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit and a 1-off male Brambling and then the bird I'd hoped for Willow Tit right in front of me down to a couple of feet calling as well a better than hoped for encounter. On the reservoir water Mallard, Canada Geese, Greylag Geese, Tufted Duck, Moorhen, 3-off Wigeon and a lot of Black Headed Gulls and 2-off Common Gulls

Out of Yorkshire today and into the top bit of Lincolnshire to bird watch near the Humber estuary at Alkborough Flats the plan was a couple of hours here then move to Far Ings but after a couple of hours I decided to stop and give the full area a work over. I arrived at 8am in fog and made my way down to the first hide hearing Pinf Footed Geese overhead, on the pools Redshank, Ruff, Black Tailed Godwit, Grey Herons and four Little Egrets, Lapwings, and Golden Plovers, Teal, Mallard, and Wigeon the fog wasn't lifting so I decided on a snack back at the car. Whilst drinking a coffee a Barn Owl made an entrance and then an exit through the car park making its way east down the estuary. Time to move on and to the second hide seeing more of the same wader wise until I came to a small wooded area here I saw Great, Blue and Long Tailed Tits, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Mistle Thrush, Blackbirds, Kestrel on the mud flats I managed to pick up Avocets, Grey Plover, Pied Wagtail, a Marsh Harrier hunting the reed beds and a Bar Tailed Godwit with plenty more Wigeon and Teal, Wrens, Dunnock and Robin in the bushes and as always a fly through Kingfisher.

I finally made it down to the last hide this is the one nearest the river overlooking Blacktoft Sands here I managed to see a Male Marsh Harrier hunting the reed beds at Blacktoft. Birds at the river junction Black Headed Gulls, Common Gulls, Lapwing, Redshanks, Grey Herons, Cormorants, and Golden Plovers by this time the fog had complety gone and the sun was a shining with a pair of Stonechat along the footpath as I made my way back to the car the day had turned in to a very pleasant one. That was the day apart from a Buzzard over the M180 and this is the LIST

Snipe

Well the forecast was good so with Digiscoping stuff in hand and bins around neck it was back to Old Moor to get some more practice under the belt. On arrival I was told the Little Owl was showing well near the feeders so that was my first port of call but only seeing Greenfinch, Robin, Blue Tit, Great Tit and Pheasant I sought help to seek out the Owl. After five minutes we were on to it tucked away in the tree at the back. After that I was straight down to the Wath Ings hide the place was a bit full mainly of senior citizens so getting a seat was difficult, I also thought I was going to be in for a quiet morning how wrong I was. Constant loud talking down the hide to one another, phones going off, door slamming (were have all the birders gone?) I was soon off back out down to the other hide and to piece and quiet. I settled in to the Wader Scrape hide to view Little Grebe, Grey Heron, Greylag Geese, Green Sandpiper, Mute Swan, Wigeon, Mallard, and  Teal.

BLACK HEADED GULL 

A little after ten / fifteen minutes the silence was broken with the arrival of the senior citizens starting with a few but it was the signal for me to pack up and make a move back to the Wath Ings hide. I arrived just to them departing en masse beautiful the hide was quiet. I settled in to the corner seat and started a bit of Digiscoping subject matter nearest were Snipe, Green Sandpiper, Lapwing and Black Headed Gull. Birds further afield included Greenshank, Golden Plover, Ruff, Dunlin, Black Tailed Godwit, a fly through Kingfisher , a young Peregrine making its way in to the tree area with prey. On the way back home to finish the raptor side of things a single Sparrowhawk flew over the M1. LIST

LAPWING

SPOTTED CRAKE

 Another trip out around the Dearne Valley Reserves port to the Wombwell Ings reserve catching sight of Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Dunlin, Green Sandpiper and what we were looking for Pectoral Sandpiper. Making its way along the far banking feeding slowly we could clearly see the sudden band stopping on the chest along with the classic 'V' shaped on its back saying I'm a juvenile bird. On then to Ederthrope Flash and we were soon looking at our quarry a Spotted Crake ( Video )we had great views of this bird as it was busy feeding and I did manage to get a few record pictures of the bird as it was dull lighting and a little distant. We then decided on a look at Old Moor RSPB reserve seeing more waders Golden Plover, Lapwing, Greenshank, Ringed Plover, Green Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Ruff and Black Tailed Godwit. List

DUNNOCK

I enjoyed another day at Old Moor RSPB reserve taking a few digiscoped pictures and of course catching up on a few birds. Waders today were Greenshank, Green Sandpiper (Video), Curlew Sandpiper, Black Tailed Godwit, Snipe, Ruff, Lapwing, Golden Plover and Dunlin all seen at the Wath Ings Hide. Around the feeders were I took the photos today Dunnock, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Blue Tit, Willow Tit, and Great Tit

GREENFINCH

Out and about other species included Wigeon, Mallard, Gadwall, Teal but no raptors at Old Moor , on the way home at Bretton Park however one Buzzard soaring over the tree tops.

MUTE SWAN

Theme for today at "The Carr" was bit'ern not Bittern ya we forgot the insect repellent and all the other stuff some of the team suffered with swollen hands that night and a couple of days after but the birds were good.

We had a few waders Spotted Redshank, Ringed Plover, a few Dunlins and Black tailed Godwits, Golden Plover, Lapwings, Snipe and a new site tick Little Egret all down at the West Scrape Hide. A Kingfisher showing off in front of the Piper Marsh Hide before flying off, here we also saw Mute Swan, Shoveler, Tufted Duck, and Mallard. There was also a lot of butterflies about Comma, Speckled Wood, Red Admiral, Large and Small Whites and Tortoiseshell.

Birds around the Willow Poll hide near the feeders along with the Rats were Dunnock, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Willow Tit, Pheasant, Chaffinch, and Goldfinch to name a few. Of course we were at the wrong part of the reserve for Bittern but we did get well and truly bit'ern. The Weekend List

GREY HERON

The main theme for today was hopefully a bit of Digiscoping but I decided firstly to start the day at Ingbirchworth Res. to try and get Willow Tit on my Club area list for this year as it was fast becoming my bogey bird for the year, also Old Moor don't open the gates till 9:30am. Well after a couple of hours around Ingbirchworth Willow Tit had still not landed on  my year list I had the usual bird species Crow, Rook , Jackdaw, Black Headed and Lesser Black Backed Gulls along with Chaffinch, Robin, Blue and Great Tit etc put it was good to see alone Swallow making its way thru.

On to Old Moor RSPB reserve taking a quick look around the car park area on arrival seeing Hare, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, and Tree Sparrows. First stop inside was the cafe for a BLT and a Cappuccino and a sit on the veranda. In the reserve when I had pulled myself away from the cafe Little Egret, Grey Heron ( Video )and a few duck species Mallard, Wigeon and Shoveler. We alos had a young Peregrine hunting for its breakfast scarring all the birds put going away with nothing. Waders included Lapwing, Golden Plover, Green Sandpiper and Greenshank for the day. I also caugt up with Willow Tit shame I didn' catch up with it in the club area along with Willow Tit were Great and Blue Tits. There were also a lot of Dragonflies about this morning one I identied, hopefully, as a  Migrant Hawker

MIGRANT HAWKER

due to its large and small blue spots down its abdomen, there was a large amount of Painted Lady butterflies about at Old Moor.

GREEN SANDPIPER

Well our final day out and a first trip to Arne Nature Reserve. Our main goal of the day was of course Dartford Warbler and Osprey and of course as with the rest of the day we missed out, it may have been down to the wind factor on the day, anyway we did enjoy the birds. Seeing Little Egret, Willow Warbler, Green Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Spotted Flycatcher and Linnet but the main animal of the day was plenty of Sika Deer these seemed to be everywhere. On the way back we decided to stop of at Lodmoor Reserve for an ice cream this was a good call a first winter female Redstart was seen on the way round to the ice cream booth.

Other Wildlife noted over holidays : Fox at Finshade, Badger nt Winterbourne Steepleton, Sika Deer at Arne, Red Squirrel on Brownsea Island Holiday List

Today's adventure was over to Brownsea Island from Poole this cost £8.50 for ferry, £4.70 to land on Brownsea Island and then a further £2 to get up to the villa, the best place to see Red Squirrel. On the journey Sandwich Tern, Common Tern ( Video )were seen. After a thirty minute search we finally caught up with the Red Squirrel ( Video ) and what appeared to be a small family playing chase around the tree. Making our way back to the ferry port we stopped off at the bird hides we saw Greenshank, Avocet, Oystercatcher, Little Egret, Water Rail, Black Tailed Godwits and of course being told of missing not 1 not 2 but 3 Spoonbills couldn't you just poke some people in the eye. Anyway a great day and if you are the area make a trip over to Brownsea Island