Groby Pool (Leics) 31 Aug

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First time visit to this pool after an afternoon at Bradgate Park with our nets – caught four crayfish plus some gobies and – highlight -a brown trout! I've seen the trout many times but never managed to net one before.


 


As Groby Pool is only a mile away from the park thought we might as well have a look at it.  Lots of birds – a couple of black swans a surprise but other than that lots of mallard,  coots,  swans (inc 5 cygnets). tufted ducks and black headed gulls.  Plus quite a few cormorant, gadwall and some moorhens.  Also a few great crested grebes  – a black headed grebe has been reported from here for the past week but i think everything we saw was a great crested although the juveniles are tricky once they get past the stripy phase.  Rachel (who knows better than me) said the black headed is a lot smaller and with a slightly upturned bill so we did not see it.  Good place to come back to in the winter I guess as the ducks should be in full plumage and presumably plenty of winter visitors too. 

Bird fair at Rutland 19/08/05

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Visited bird fair for the first time – lots of marquees and people in them but bizarrely the reserve was virtually empty – not quite sure how birdwatchers can visit ac reserve like Rutland and spend all the time in the tents but that is what they seemed to do.  Anyway we were not complaining – thats me Rick and my two daughters Rachel (13) and Jess (10) as we had most of the hides to ourselves. 


 


So what did we see.  Highlight was undoubtedly the Osprey – first one was a cheat – young one still in a cage but as we watched it one of the young ones released a few weeks ago came back to the cages for a feed  -unmistakeable bird.  We then saw a third one a little later on flying over the lake.


 


What else did we see?  Here's a quick list – Sparrowhawk (thaks to Jess),  Common Sandpiper,  quite a few Ruff,  masses of Lapwings,  a snipe,  a few Egyptian geese,  Heron,  3 Curlew, Greenshank, Great Crested Grebe, Mallard,  Gadwall,  Tufted Duck, loads of Cormorants and Coots,  Moorhen,  Sedge Warbler, Crow, Goldfinch, Pheasant (including chicks), Magpie, Woodpigeon


 


Highlights seeing a stoat stalking moorhens and Heron catching a fish which Jess watched through the scope much to her delight.  Took a few pictures but have still not really mastered this digiscoping thing!