12th January

A good day around Rutland Water produced some good highlights; we started off at Burley Fish Ponds where birds included 3 Slavonian Grebes, 2 Black-necked Grebes, at least 3 Great White Egrets, c30 Golden Plover with a huge flock of Lapwings and plenty of the usual wildfowl including Egyptian Geese, Wigeon, Goosander, Gadwall etc.   Also of note was great views of a big dog Otter on the bunds and in the water around the fish ponds.   We then walked the usual route around the reserve hides where highlights included a drake Smew, good views of a Water Rail in front of one of the hides, a female Marsh Harrier, several distant Red Kites, at least 3 more Great White Egrets, a sleeping Jack Snipe right in front of one of the hides, another Otter swimming across a lagoon and big numbers of birds in the south arm as viewed from a hide including a Great-northern Diver and a female Scaup with a huge flock of Tufted Ducks.

Bullfinch