Leach's Lamentations

 Regular birding bud Alan Shorrock and I paid a visit to Rutland Water today where we spent a lot of time on the dam. After an awful week of what felt like constant rain it was good to get some sunny weather at last and after a coldish start it even felt a bit warm. Soon after we arrived news emerged that a Leach's Petrel had been seen off Barnsdale on the other side of the res, it was potentially a new species for both of us and we considered heading off immediately but instead decided to wait for more news. Our hesitancy proved costly as the bird  flew off westwards a little later on. Whether we would have managed to see it if we'd  left then and there is open to debate, either way it could be a while before the next one appears.

Ringed Plover and Goosander

Leach's sized dip aside we actually had an OK walk along the dam and part of the south shore. At least four young Ringed Plovers were seen on the shingle beach near the dam though they were flushed a little later on by some walkers. Five brownhead Goosanders were dozing on rocks and showed well in excellent light. A distant Red-breasted Merganser was seen on the dam near to the Sykes Lane carpark and we headed in its direction hoping to get better views. We didn't pick it up on the outward leg but had better luck on the return journey. The immature drake was keeping company with a brownhead Goosander and we had some good views. Mergs appear to be getting scarcer inland nowadays so it's always a pleasure to see one. We didn't see much else other than an adult Yellow-legged Gull and a small selection of insects that included Common Darter, Migrant Hawker and Speckled Wood.

Red-breasted Marganser

We stopped at Eyebrook on the way home where the water level was high, any prospect of seeing waders seemed remote and so it proved. Duck numbers seemed low too though we did get a double figure count of Pintails Best bird was a Black Tern which seemed to spend most of its time flitting around the part of the res to the south of Stoke Dry carpark. Another tern was also noted but we couldn't I.D it with certainty though another observer had earlier seen two immature Arctic Terns. Two Great White Egrets were also noted but we didn't see much else of interest other than a couple of Commas and a Southern Hawker near the bridge.

Yellow-legged Gull and Pintails