Exciting Day at Rutland

A day of drama at Rutland Eggleton Nature Reserve with the RPS Nature Group both in the weather - thunder and lightning included - and the target birds - Hobby, Osprey and Cuckoo. Not quality photos by a long way but may give an idea of the action in sunny and cloudy skies (we failed to catch an Osprey with background lightnings flashes in a photo!). At the end, Reed and Sedge Warblers, Wren and Reed Buntings that tantalised us with brief visible moments in the reeds) 

St Aidens RSPB Reserve

 St Aidan's RSPB Reserve has been transformed from an old, open cast mine to a reserve with a rich variety of habitats including reedbeds, wetlands, meadows and woodland. It has a breeding population of Black-necked Grebe, which I was keen to see as I hadn't seen summer plumage birds before. There were lots of Bittern booming and several took to the air during our visit. Otherwise the numbers of singing Warblers - Sedge, Reed and Willow were very impressive along with Reed Buntings and all the usual water birds