Kev @kev07713 and I weren’t sure how to spend our Saturday morning, but we ultimately decided to head to Thornton Reservoir in Leicestershire, where a young drake long-tailed duck had been reported for the past three or four days.
The long-tailed duck is a small sea duck that winters in the UK. Breeding in Arctic regions, they favour tundra pools and marshes during the summer before migrating south to spend winter on the sea, often gathering in large flocks. Winter males are striking, predominantly white with brownish-black markings and their signature elongated tail feathers, from which the species gets its name.
While they’re most often found in sheltered bays and harbours from Northumberland to northern Scotland - places like Shetland, Orkney, and the northeast coast - long-tailed ducks occasionally appear inland, especially during unusual weather.
We stopped for breakfast just before Thornton and parked near the dam wall. Spotting a couple of birders along the wall, we figured they were on the bird. As we approached, they packed up and confirmed the duck was relatively close in. Sure enough, when we reached the spot, the bird was closer than any I’d previously encountered, whether at Draycote Water or on the sea at Seamill.
It was highly active, diving frequently, often vanishing just as you managed to get it in your scope - it would raise its rump a little just before it dived showing a larger area of white. After watching for a while, our patience paid off - the duck swam even closer and began preening, giving us an incredible view. I took plenty of photos, making the decision to visit here well worth it!
Watching from the dam wall had its challenges, as it also doubles as the edge of the road leading into the village. Occasionally, cars came from both directions, forcing us to shift out of the way or momentarily block traffic, creating a bit of an obstruction.
Once we’d had our fill of the long-tailed duck, we decided to head south, making a stop at Wildlife Trust BCN Summer Leys to try our luck at spotting a jack snipe - one of our favourite spots for finding them (you can read about a previous sighting here). However, recent flooding across the country has left water levels quite high. We’d been receiving regular updates from Stuart Mundy, who mentioned that levels were gradually dropping but were still elevated.
As we pulled into the car park, a sparrowhawk darted through the trees near the Pioneer Hide, a promising start to the visit. Our destination was the Paul Britten Hide, a double-decker structure overlooking the scrape. This area is vital for ground-nesting wetland birds like lapwing and redshank, and it’s one of the best locations to spot common and jack snipe.
On the way to the hide, we came across a pair of bullfinches in their “usual” spot, along with plenty of teal, wigeon, coot, and gulls scattered across the pools. Upon entering the hide, we found the upper level completely empty, giving us the space to settle in and start scanning. Before long, we had spotted six common snipe.
A short while later, Kev spotted a jack snipe far off to our right, tucked along the edge of the pool. It was partially obscured by dense cover, making it tricky to spot without a scope, but its characteristic shorter bill was unmistakable. We watched as it bobbed and moved while feeding, but it frustratingly stayed out of clear view. A few minutes later, it darted to the right, disappearing over the grassy brow and into the reeds beyond. Not long after, a common snipe appeared in its place. Despite our efforts, we couldn’t relocate it or find another. Over on the far hedgeline the glossy ibis wheeled over the trees and dropped behind before Kev could get. on it.
We left the hide, making for the feeder area and Mary's Lake beyond. We could now have better views of the hundreds of golden plovers with the lapwings. Occasionally they would rise and circle in the sky but with the weather as it was, there wasn't the usual white flash as they wheeled and turned.
We reached the feeders and found the area teeming with grey squirrels and a couple of small rats. Every so often, a mixed flock of blue, great, and long-tailed tits visited, with the long-tails being the most numerous. We also spotted a couple of goldcrests along the track, busy feeding in the denser parts of the hedgerow.
Crossing the lane, we looked out across Mary's Lake and spotted a couple of common snipe, along with another bird that appeared smaller - it disappeared before we could make a positive identification. Together with Moon Lake, Mary's Lake is part of the Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits, a series of pits recognized for their international importance to overwintering waterbirds. The area is designated as a Special Protection Area (SPA) and regularly hosts significant numbers of species such as gadwall, wigeon, pochard, and tufted duck. The lake is fenced off to prevent otters from entering and preying on the fish.
For birdwatchers, Mary's Lake offers a chance to observe a variety of species, though access is limited, with the best views available from the gate along the lane. On the lake but distant, we spotted several cormorants, one of which was struggling to swallow a large fish. After several failed attempts, it abandoned the catch and swam away - what a waste. Hopefully, it will be carried by the current to be eaten by another predator.
We continued exploring but eventually returned to the double-decker hide. After more than half an hour of scanning, Kev spotted another jack snipe on a distant island. Unfortunately, it soon disappeared over the brow and remained out of sight for the rest of our visit, always too distant for a photo.
Another cracking day out.
Year list: 245.
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