Rutland Water was the destination for our latest CBC outing on Sunday 28th April, with a healthy turnout of nine members making the journey to this impressive and extensive Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust reserve.
We had only just parked up when we were welcomed by the distant ‘yaffle’ of a Green Woodpecker, before a number of common species were seen on the feeders in front of the Visitor Centre.
Walking along the paths surrounded by trees and reedbeds to our first hide, we were soon picking out the songs of Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers, but had to re-acquaint ourselves with the songs of those typically more difficult to separate: Blackcap and Garden Warbler, and Reed and Sedge Warblers.
We were then treated to a glorious concert by that famous songster, a Nightingale, which true to form remained firmly hidden in the bushes, but was unmistakable even though its song is less often heard than most. Later on a second one performed for us, but also escaped our detection.
From the Dunlin hide, overlooking Lagoon 4, we added several species of wildfowl to our rapidly growing list, including at least 2-3 Wigeon which hadn’t yet departed for their breeding grounds. A solitary Little Ringed Plover and a Bar-tailed Godwit were found, along with much larger numbers of Oystercatchers, Lapwings and Redshanks.
We returned to the Visitor Centre to enjoy our packed lunches overlooking Lagoon 1 and were rewarded with good views of an Osprey making several high-level passes over the water, followed by a Red Kite being chased by a number of corvids. Perhaps surprisingly, three Pink-footed Geese were also sighted still lingering before making their journey north for the summer. Very large numbers of Sand Martins, well outnumbering Swallows, were hawking insects over the water and flying to and from their specially erected nest bank.
Continuing after lunch, singing Cetti’s Warbler and Lesser Whitethroats were added to the count of those heard but not seen, and a growing number of species were steadily ticked off with an impressive total of 69 recorded by the group as a whole.
Grey Heron – John Sykes
Linnet – John Sykes
Avid CBC Birders looking for Nightingale – Gary Atkins
Pink Footed Geese with Canada Goose – Gary Atkins
Mute Swan and Lapwing – Gary Atkins
Oystercatcher – John Sykes
Special thanks go to John and Fay Follett, who have visited the reserve a number of times, and were able to offer invaluable advice on the best way of making use of our time, which hides to visit and which paths to follow.
The full list accumulated on the day is as follows: Green Woodpecker, House Sparrow, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Rook, Woodpigeon, Robin, Goldfinch, Blackbird, Swallow, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Canada Goose, Black-headed Gull, Mallard, Song Thrush, Garden Warbler, Chiffchaff, Sedge Warbler, Willow Warbler, Blue Tit, Wren, Coot, Lapwing, Wigeon, Bar-tailed Godwit, Oystercatcher, Gt Crested Grebe, Greylag Goose, Mute Swan, Redshank, Egyptian Goose, Little Egret, Common Tern, Little Ringed Plover, Cormorant, Common Gull, Nightingale, Gadwall, Sand Martin, Tufted Duck, Buzzard, Red Kite, Teal, Cetti’s Warbler, Shelduck, Shoveler, Moorhen, Grey Heron, Blackcap, Whitethroat, Pochard, Osprey, Gt Black-backed Gull, Little Grebe, Pink-footed Goose, Ruddy Duck, Reed Warbler, Stock Dove, Magpie, Pheasant, Collared Dove, Starling, Mistle Thrush, Long-tailed Tit, Reed Bunting, Dunnock, Linnet, Lesser Whitethroat and Greenfinch
This 40-day holiday with my wife Meryl was almost a year in the planning (with a fair bit of help from Trailfinders, who did a good job with the plentiful detailed arrangements). Having been to New Zealand before 15 years earlier to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary, but never to Australia, we decided to combine the two while still spending more time in NZ than we had before, so it was always going to be a long one.
In retrospect, the itinerary (involving 12 flights, 19 accommodations and 3,000 miles driving in three separate hire cars) was perhaps a little over-ambitious for a couple of 60-somethings. Next time (if there is one) we’ll feed in a few extra days
Nevertheless, that and a cancelled flight were the only slight negatives in a truly memorable journey, as each day rewarded us with either amazing scenery, jaw-dropping city-scapes, fascinating cultural tastes and, for me at least, above all exciting and varied wildlife at every turn.
We had stopovers in Singapore on the way out and Bangkok on the way back. Here are a few pictures that give a flavour for the brilliant time we enjoyed ……
This pair of Yellow-vented Bulbuls posed beautifully for me in the Gardens by the Bay, which was just a short walk from our centrally-located hotel in, and big enough to swallow up all the joggers, cyclists and tai-chi exponents and still leave plenty of space, peace and quiet for the surprisingly plentiful wildlife. Meryl and I really enjoyed the city, which is forensically clean (don’t take chewing gum – you might get arrested!), but also an exciting and vibrant place with amazing buildings and creative attractions for locals and tourists alike …
… and here is one of those buildings, the amazing Marina Bay Sands hotel (pictured during one of the regular light shows at the inner harbour), which cost $8 billion to build, has over 2,500 rooms, and its extended roof platform towers 200 metres above the ground, has an infinity pool and gardens of its own, including full-sized palm trees!
This striking Black-naped Oriole, a fairly common site in Singapore’s green spaces, was one of 24 species I managed to log during a brief two-day stay in the city state.
NEW ZEALAND
This holiday’s plentiful new entries to my lifetime bird list began to accumulate during our week in the north island of New Zealand, when we stayed in Auckland briefly en route to Paihia in the Bay of Islands and Whitianga in the Coromandel Peninsula, but it wasn’t until we got to magical Stewart Island, located off the southern trip of south island, that the ‘lifers’ really started to arrive thick and fast. On a late evening boat trip, we caught up with a small colony of these Fjordland Crested Penguins ….
…. plus some New Zealand Fur Seals before landing on a remote beach and tracking down a few Brown Kiwis, which seemed unaware of the spooky red torchlight that was just about good enough to enable a snatched photo or two …
Large groups of Kaka parrots were a regular sight on Stewart Island as they tore into the seemingly-endless swathes of giant flax and other vegetation with their powerful beaks. New Zealand has a number of endemic parrots including the Kea, which enjoys mountains and snow (we’d seen them at Fox Glacier on a previous trip, but not this time around), and the endangered Kakapo, a huge flightless parrot whose population has been decimated by ground-dwelling mammals.
Having been brought to the edge of extinction, Kakapo conservation is focused on on a few remote islands where stoats and possums have been eradicated. I discovered that one of these – Codfish Island – is just off Stewart Island.
Although a rarity is general terms, the Saddleback with its prominent wattles can be fairly readily seen on conservation-conscious Stewart Island; I saw a few of these on another of Stewart Island’s own offshore wildlife havens, Ulva Island
Another iconic New Zealand endemic is the Tui, after which a rather pleasant beer is named! The Tui with its rich array of unusual calls, including mimicking human voices, is seen throughout New Zealand. It is one of the larger members of the honeyeater family and because of its trademark white throat tufts was called parson bird by early settlers.
In New Zealand I saw 83 bird species, including several lifers despite having previously visited the country.
AUSTRALIA
Australia was the most daunting – and, at the same time, exciting – prospect when it came to birding ‘down under’, not least because there are over 900 species to go at, all beautifully detailed in the 1.5kg field guide I had to lug around in my rucksack (yes, I should have downloaded an app!). There are some 60 species of Honeyeater alone, and one of my earliest spots was this New Holland Honeyeater, feeding on nectar just outside our hotel window on Kangaroo Island …
Possibly the most amazing bird in terms of behaviour was this Satin Bowerbird, with its bewildering range of calls, many unbird-like and some sounding almost human. Bowerbirds are noted for creating elaborate courtship ‘bowers’. Although I’m slightly cheating here, by photographing a bird in a walk-through aviary, I did see this species in the wild too – and it was, true to form, picking up debris left by humans in a car park.
After first seeing Koalas in a wildlife park, which we’d visited in frustration after initially seeing more road-kill than live animals, we then began to see them (and other indigenous wildlife including wallabies, kangaroos and echidnas) more regularly in the wild. This mother and youngster were in the Tower Hill Wildlife Park, one of the best and most natural reserves I’ve ever visited …
Royal Spoonbills were an impressive sight, seen here with some of the Australasian White Ibises that could be found almost anywhere – including rummaging through rubbish bins in the centre of Sydney!
The almost prehistoric looking, stiff-tailed Musk Duck was completely new to me, and this male (I hesitate to say ‘handsome’!) was about to launch into a courtship display which involves erecting its tail and inflating the leathery lobe beneath its bill …
Surely the most colourful bird I saw in Australia – not an easy claim to maintain with so many species with outrageous plumage – was this Rainbow Lorikeet, which were readily seen in Sydney and Melbourne.
The prettiest bird in my wife’s eyes (and why not!) was this Splendid Fairy Wren. I saw them most places we visited in Australia, and I did get closer views, but this was my favourite shot ..
My Australian species total eventually reached 104.
BANGKOK
The Asian Koel is widespread across Asia and often heard rather than seen as the male is very vocal during the breeding season. It is a large cuckoo and, typical of the family, it is parasitic, laying a single egg in the nests of birds such as crows and shrikes. This bird, a female, is attractive enough, but possibly not as striking as the all-blue-black male with its beady red eye).
I was quite surprised to see this Chinese Pond Heron right slap bang in the middle of a well-peopled Bangkok park. Away from water, it was probably looking for a reptilian snack …
Our latest CBC trip – to Frampton Marsh RSPB Reserve – on Sunday 30th September was well supported with 12 people making the journey to the Lincolnshire coast. Frampton is an excellent location and at this time of year offered the prospect of passage waders and the early arrivals of wintering ducks, geese and swans, with always the possibility of a rarity thrown in for good measure.
Most of us took the opportunity of a welcoming hot drink on arrival at the Visitor Centre, while overlooking the Reedbed pools where we were able to observe large rafts of Black-tailed Godwits, estimated by the centre staff to total around 2,500. There were also good numbers of Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Avocet, as well as plenty of Shoveler, Wigeon and Teal. The bird feeders just outside the window provided close-up views of some common species, such as House Sparrow, Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Blue Tit.
Moving round to the Reedbed hide we settled in to try and identify more waders and were rewarded with a couple of Ruff, a Greenshank and a number of Golden Plover. The numbers of Wigeon flying in were steadily increasing and we were able to pick out 4-5 Pintail among them, distinguished by their longer necks and more upright posture in the water.
After lunch, we set off round the Wash trail in search of a Little Stint which had been spotted at the southern corner of the trail and we were able to get fairly good views of this tiny wader, along with a Snipe which not surprisingly proved more difficult to locate. Further round a Spotted Redshank was seen, at least half a dozen Little Grebe and a solitary Brent Goose.
Continuing round the Wash trail, then the Reedbed trail, we encountered flocks of Linnets, Meadow Pipits and a pair of Stonechats. Arriving back at the Visitor Centre we were treated to a female Merlin sitting on a fence across the fields, as well as Egyptian Geese in a field, and a single Whooper Swan on the Reedbed pools.
On news that a Cattle Egret had been seen, a few of our group ventured down a tree-lined path to a reservoir, picking up Chiffchaff on the way. The egret was indeed there, scampering between the legs of grazing cattle, while some other species including Coot, Tufted Duck and Great Black-backed Gull which had eluded us so far were bobbing on the water of the small reservoir.
All in all it was a very good day which everyone seemed to enjoy, with a collective total of 61 species seen by the group. Below is the full list …
Mute Swan, House Sparrow, Black-headed Gull, Cetti’s Warbler, Swallow, Goldfinch, Black-tailed Godwit, Wigeon, Greenfinch, Linnet, Blue Tit, Robin, Common Gull, Moorhen, Avocet, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Shelduck, Teal, Mallard, Kestrel, Skylark, Starling, Shoveler, Pintail, Golden Plover, Greenshank, Ruff, Carrion Crow, Little Egret, Little Stint, Snipe, Cormorant, Spotted Redshank, Little Grebe, Gadwall, Brent Goose, Herring Gull, Canada Goose, Meadow Pipit, Woodpigeon, Stonechat, Magpie, Merlin, Egyptian Goose, Whooper Swan, Blackbird, Chiffchaff, Pheasant, Cattle Egret, Coot, Tufted Duck, Great Black-backed Gull, Collared Dove, Great Tit, Dunnock, Buzzard, Tree Sparrow, Pied Wagtail and Jay.
A group of nine assembled at the Visitor Centre at 9am last Sunday (20 May) for the club’s Warbler Walk. As well as the lovely sunny weather, we also benefited from the expertise of Roger Carrington, one of the club’s most experienced recorders at Carsington Water, who led the walk and was able to pick up many of the species we saw simply from their songs and calls.
Setting off from the Visitor Centre towards Stones Island we soon encountered the scratchy song of a Whitethroat, which flew across the path on its song flight and perched obligingly at the top of a bush to give us good views.
Further on we heard the descending trill of a Willow Warbler, which again we managed to see very well as it flitted around the bushes. We then had the challenge of trying to differentiate between the song of a Garden Warbler and a Blackcap, but fortunately the bird obliged by showing itself as a Garden Warbler. We heard the same song a number of times moving around Stones Island before picking up faintly the song of a Sedge Warbler on the edge of Sailing Club Island.
It wasn’t just about warblers of course and as we were walking we did of course see and hear the songs and calls of many ‘non-warblers’ – birds such as Blackbird, Wren, Dunnock and Robin, and we had brief views of a Willow Tit.
Earlier in the morning two Turnstones had been spotted on Sailing Club Island, but had moved on by the time we had got there (shame – as three were seen there the following day!). The water itself was very calm and we saw a number of Mallard families with young chicks, as well as Gadwall, Tufted Duck and Great-Crested Grebes in pairs displaying to each other.
Moving off Stones Island, we walked along Wildlife Centre Creek where we were hoping to catch sight or sound of a Spotted Flycatcher or Lesser Whitethroat, both of which had been seen or heard in that area in the previous 24 hours … but they were not playing ball as we stared into the trees, eyes and ears primed.
Surprisingly it wasn’t until this point that we heard our first Chiffchaff, singing its name at the top of a tree by the path, and Roger strongly suspected we identified a Blackcap, though it remained heard but not seen! Finishing up at the Wildlife Centre we got good close-up views of the usual ducks, geese and gulls to be seen there, as well as a distant Little Grebe.
It was a pleasure to welcome some recently joined members of the club to our walk and we hope everyone who came along enjoyed themselves. A big thank you must go to Roger for all his advice in helping us to identify the warbler songs and calls, as well as passing on some of his tips on where to find the birds around the site.
That time of year – but definitely NOT a warbler!
The species seen during the walk (or, at least, those we could remember!) were: Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Blackbird, Canada Goose, Great Tit, Robin, Wren, Cormorant, Black-headed Gull, Coot, Magpie, Grey Heron, Jackdaw, Chaffinch, Woodpigeon, Willow Warbler, Swallow, Mute Swan, Mallard, Long-tailed Tit, Carrion Crow, Garden Warbler, Gt Crested Grebe, Gadwall, Redshank, Willow Tit, Reed Bunting, Goldfinch, Sedge Warbler (heard), Blackcap (heard), Pied Wagtail, Blue Tit, House Martin, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Greylag Goose and Little Grebe
