Avez-Vous un Cuppa?

  Here is a short video of the summer plumaged Pied-billed Grebe at Rutland Water last year and thanks to Steve Lewis for finding me a county tick!

As I have been a bit busy of late, I will hopefully post a few more things in the next week or so... So here is a little catch-up....I have county ticked Black-winged Stilt and Savi's Warbler both at Rutland Water over the last month. Also yesterday myself, Colin Green and John Hague connected with the "supposed" Atlas Flycatcher at South Landing, Flamborough Head . A very interesting bird and hopefully this bird will be added to the British list in the near future? We finished the day at Bempton Cliff RSPB  reserve and I was finally able to photograph the breeding Kittewakes , Gannets , Fulmars and Auks !...photos to follow

Here is my first attempt of un cuppa tv of the Grey Phalarope myself and John Hague saw at Rutland Water dam today! If this doesn't work try the link below: http://www.youtube.com/user/davidearlgray?feature=mhum#p/a/u/0/GSZn9y0mLXg

Adder's Tongue Fern at Merry's Meadow LRWT. Green winged Orchids at Merry's Meadow LRWT. Cattle Egret on Lagoon 1 at Rutland Water. Although I had seen the Cattle Egret at Rutland Water briefly the previously day, I nipped over to Rutland again to see if I could get some digishots of the Cattle Egret and take some photos of the local Green winged Orchids at the nearby Merry's Meadow LRWT. Arriving at the Egleton reserve I was soon taking some record shots of the Cattle Egret as it feed around the cattle opposite mallard hide. Pleased with the record shots of the Egret I then drove over to Greetham to check out Merry's Meadow. At this site I counted at least 500+ Green winged Orchids in the surrounding meadowland and small numbers of the cute looking Adder's Tongue Fern . Whilst at this site I received a message from Andy Mackay of a possible Wood Warbler at Victoria park in the centre of Leicester, and could I possible check it out? As I was driving home that...

Adder in Vc 55! Early on Wednesday morning, I nipped over to Rutland to see if I could find the reported Adders which had been showing on and off for the last few days. Arriving at the location and using the directions from Colin Towe and Chris Lythall, within in five minutes of checking the site I saw an Adder basking itself on rocks next to the footpath. As you can imagine I took few record shots of the Adder as it slowly warmed itself up on the rocks. The Adder took about half an hour to warm up and then slowly moved back in the vegetation. With the quarry under the belt, other sightings in the surrounding area included a singing Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap, Green Woodpecker and Jay. Happy with what I had seen I then moved on to the dam at Rutland Water. Scanning from the dam I finally picked up the long staying Great Northern Diver after a few minutes which was actually just off Whitwell Creek!!, and then the "showy" drake Scaup which was just off the dam. From the d...