Heather's Nature Notes: NEW YEAR BIRDING AT WELNEY AND RUTLAND

As we enter a new year, it has become my custom to visit my sister in Cambridgeshire and join her for a couple of birding trips in the area where she lives. I left home at 7.45 am, and made the two hour trip by car, without any hitches, even taking advantage of the new A14 layout to cut almost ten minutes off my journey time.

Once I had refreshed myself at her house with coffee and cake, we set off for Welney WWT. Although only the main observation hide was open, due to flooded footpaths, I was keen to see whooper swans and tree sparrows as a useful addition to my year list which I would be less likely to see in my home patch. We also knew that the centre had a good restaurant! On arrival at the centre, we were asked if we would like to join the afternoon 'hare' walk so decided to add our names to the list. We also were told that there was an additional 'swan' feed at 12.30 so that would be a bonus, although in the event it was more of a 'duck' feed, as most of the whoopers were feeding out in the fields, unlikely to return until the 330 feed, at which time there could be hundreds of swans.

With the observatory providing the only viewing point, we enjoyed the wildfowl which could be seen from the large windows. There were mostly pochards, one of the largest gatherings in the country I believe, with just half a dozen or so mute swans and whooper swans and a good number of mallards together with a few tufted ducks. After the 'talk' was over, I was intrigued to know how the feeding would take place, with water levels high and right up to the hide. However, the assistant warden donned chest waders and armed with a wheelbarrow attached to a floating tyre proceeded to make his way in front of the hide. Ducks were everywhere with here and there a whooper swan trying to maintain its postion amongst the melee.

After lunch at the cafe - not as good as on previous occasions we thought! - we prepared to go out on Lady Fen along with about 16 others looking for hares. The terrain was mainly rough grass, providing occasional tussocks of grass where a hare might create a form in which to rest. We hadn't walked very far before we disturbed a hare close by which made off at top speed around the field. It was the first of about half a dozen hares which we saw during the hour we were out. As a bonus, we were treated to a views of a couple of short eared owls which were lovely to see. They had been on the ground but flew off and settled, again on the ground, at a distance.

The light was beginning to fade as we returned to the centre, but we decided not to stay and wait for the return of the swans this time.

whooper swans

pochard

whooper swan

swan feed

flooded footpath!

whooper swan amongst many mallards

hare's form

short eared owl

The area of Lady Fen where we walked

Next day, we planned to spend a good part of the day at Rutland Water birdwatching centre. We made an early start as we had planned to meet a couple of fellow birders there who had kindly said that they would let us look through their telescope if they found anything interesting but distant.

It was a wet start to the day as we drove north up the A1 but by the time we had reached our destination it was dry but overcast with quite a stiff cold breeze as we started our birding at the North Arm. We spotted a good number of ducks and water birds ourselves before the others arrived, including goldeneye, wigeon, gadwall, little egret and heron. With their help we were able to add red crested pochard, black necked grebe and slavonian grebe to our total so far.

Walking along the road from the car we passed a house with bird feeders which we watched for a while, adding marsh tit to the usual garden visitors.

Having made a good start, we went on to the main visitor centre. From the centre viewing area we had some further good sightings, including red head smew, goosanders, a swimming snipe, 4 or 5 great white egrets and stonechat.

Unlike on previous visits, we visited fewer hides than usual, feeling that we had already seen most of the birds on the centre's sightings list. However, we did manage to add yellow legged gull and bullfinch. Later, at the Lyndon Visitor centre, bird feeders were attracting a good variety of species, including, reed bunting, goldfinch, greenfinch, coal tit, blue tit, great tit, and a possible willow tit. The latter had been reported as being seen there, as well as a marsh tit, . However we were unable to make a definite ID. Beneath the feeders were a few Egyptian geese which seem favour this part of the reserve.

We walked along to a further hide as a ruddy shelduck had been reported from this area, but we only managed to find a few little grebes to add to todays list, which stood at 60 species.