Another Eyebrook Visit

 Well it seems as if I just can't stay away from Eyebrook Reservoir at the moment and true to recent form I found myself there again today. Having blagged a lift I began what turned out to be a very warm wander at the bridge. Afterwards I walked along the road on the Leicestershire side of the res and was treated to yet another decent day.

Rubbish photo alert! - Cattle Egret and Red Crested Pochard

From near the bridge I found the reported Cattle Egret wandering around the sedges on the Leics side of the brook. There was a group of cows in the same area but the egret showed no interest whatsoever and continued to do its own thing. I managed to get a couple of ropey record shots, distance and heat haze were to bedevil most of photographic attempts today. Reports of a juvenile Little Gull at the island had me marching down there tout suite. Sadly both of the Sandwich Terns had departed this morning and ended up at Rutland Water and I missed out on the chance to complete a hattrick of sightings.

Greenshank and Black-tailed Godwits

Just north of the island I found the female Red Crested Pochard hanging around with some Gadwalls, I don't normally bother with yucky duckies but it had been a while since I've seen RCP here. There was bad news on the gull front as the Little Gull had done a bunk almost as soon as its finder Andy Mackay had discovered it.  Not too bothered I decided to head back up to the inflow and look for some waders. On the way I had decent views of a Greenshank near Hollyoaks  and a trio of Black-tailed Godwits just south of the fence on the Leics bank. Andy had refound the gull but it had headed off back to the island just before I arrived, it seemed as if the gull's and my path were not going to cross today!

Juvenile Little Gull

I took the opportunity to look through the Lapwings finding four Dunlin , a couple of Ruffs and a brace of Ringed Plovers, the extent of the mud here suggests that there will be plenty more waders to look at in the coming weeks. My luck changed at this point when the Little Gull flew back in and landed on the water near to the tern rafts. Good though distant views of this very striking little bird were had and I grabbed a couple of record shots before I moved on. My last sighting of note before my lift arrived was of the regular Yellow-legged Gull at the island.

More Little Gull pics.