Rutland - Bird Fair and birding, 21 August 2015

Having not been to the Birdfair for a couple of years I headed off for a Friday visit with Jus and Andy. A very enjoyable day was had with plenty of catching up with people, 4 interesting lectures (Borneo, Northern Peru, Somaliland and The Sound Approach) some nice ideas for future trips and of course a couple of book purchases!

The tank of trapped moths at the Butterfly Conservation stand had some goodies to look at with September Thorn, Pine Hawkmoth, Chinese Character, Rosy Footman, Black Arches, Swallow Prominent, Pebble Hook Tip, Peppered Moth, Ruby Tiger, Red-green Carpet and probably others I can't remember! 

A visit here wouldn't be complete without some birding so after the fair had closed for the day we headed off to a few of the hides. In a couple of hours we managed Hobby, Common Buzzard, Tree Sparrow, 2 Treecreepers, Bullfinch, c5 Yellow Wagtails, 4 Common Sandpipers, 6 Green Sandpipers, 2 Greenshank and a Ruff plus good numbers of Little Egrets and c4 Egytpian Geese which presumably aren't mega common in the midlands. The star attraction was the Ospreys however and after seeing and photographing a nice singleton from Mallard hide we then finished the evening off with a family party of 2 adults and 3 almost fully grown young around their telegraph pole nest from Manton Bridge.

Osprey

Common Sandpiper

Hobby

Chiffchaff

 Muntjacs