My Annual Pilgrimage to Rutland Water

15th July 2026

This year my visit was delayed due to the heatwave as the last thing I wanted was heat-haze. So I waited for a cooler day and went early. I walked on to the reserve dreaming of some close-up shots, and was immediately rewarded with this young male Pheasant which I almost trod on. I hope this was a good omen!!!

Once inside the hide it was immediately apparent that the water levels were low and realised this was a first for me. For right in front of the hide the water was covered with blanket weed and on the weed there were not just one or two Great Crested Grebe nests, but 14, some of them just 10 yards apart!!!!

All three young had now fledged and were sitting with the adults on and around the nest area. This is the nest with the new high quality camera

And here are two jueniles and an adult on one of the perches....................

...................and a juvenile on a post under the nest by the telegraph pole.

Here is the adult male 33 taking to the air to see off anothere Osprey that was getting too close to its territory..

Yes, so I did get some close-ups today but there was also another first for me, the number of Ospreys in view at once. Previously my record was five, with the two adults and three juveniles. But today I could see three perched around the nest area and a further five circling over the bay, a total of eight!!!!!

But the best was saved to last when 33 saw off a Heron that was far too close to the nest. They really don't like them do they!!!!!

What a great day on the bird front but there was another treat in store. While I was photographing the Ospreys I could hear an aircraft flying around and thought nothing of it. But just as I was leaving the aircraft, a Supermarine Spitfire ML407, did a low pass in front of the hide.

ML407 was built at Castle Bromwich in 1944 as a Mk9 single-seater and served in the last 12 months of WWII with six different allied Squadrons of the RAF's 2nd Tactical Air Force. Its pilot Flying Officer Johnnie Houlton was accredited with shooting down the first enemy aircraft over the Normandy beach-head on D-Day 6th June 1944.

Design Engineer Nick Grace acquired ML407 in late 1979 from the Strathallon Museum and spent five years meticulously restoring the Spitfire to a two-seat configuration incorporating what is known as the "Grace In-line Canopy Conversion" which Nick designed to remove the bulbous rear canopy to a more streamlined version. The aircraft is now affectionately known as "The Grace Spitfire".

Well, another great day at Rutland Water watching the Manton Bay Osprey family.

It was also good to meet Frank and Yvonne from The Netherlands who were on holday in the UK and enjoying a day at Rutland Water. Frank and I had a long chat about cameras so Frank, all I want to know is, are you convinced yet?

Also nice to meet Karen who was also in the market for a new camera. Go for it Karen, you know it makes sense.

Marsh Harrier Update 10th July

10th July 2026

So the Marsh Harrier chicks have now fledged and good to see there are three of them. The female obviously thinks she has done her job and is now absent from the site for most of the time, leaving the male to hunt and provide the food. So the male is visble for much of the time either flying around the site or going off hunting.

The youngsters had taken over his favourite bush so he has had to find alternative accommodation.

The juveniles spend most of their time just sitting in the bushes around the nest............

....................with just a few wing flaps to strengthen the muscles in those wings.

The youngsters all seem to get on with one another and would often share the same bush.

And it must wonderful to realise you have the power of flight.

When the male brought in food he didn't take it to the youngsters, but kept on flying around with it encouraging them to come and collect it.

His plan obviously paid off as here is one of the youngsters follwing him and calling for hime to release the food.

I missed the actual food pass but in this shot the youngster now has the food.

So another three Marsh Harrier chicks have reached the flying stage at Fowlmere. I spoke to Ade Cooper and he says that according to his records they have raised 12 young to flying age in the years 2020-2026 inclusive which is an average of nearly two chicks per year, a very impressive record.

Also good to meet Nick Levene at long last.

The Oare Marshes Bonaparte's Gull

5th July 2026

But the Oare Marshes Bonaparte's Gull is not just any old Bonaparte's Gull. Hailing from North America it first appeared at Oare Marshes in early July 2013 in its full summer plumage. It then stayed until it had moulted into its winter plumage a few months later and then disappeared, never to be seen again, that is until the next year when it repeated the process. This is the 14th year it has returned and nobody knows where it goes for the rest of the year, but probably not back to the states. It returned on the 3rd July this year so let's go and find it.

I haven't been to Oare Marshes for a year and it was great to walk around the sea wall by Faversham Creek and see the large swathes of Sea Lavender.

Also Linnets flying around the bushes on the marsh.

Now round to the River Swale where the tide was out revealing acres of mud where the gull likes to feed east of the slipway. Being summer there were very few waders out on the mud, just a single Curlew and a few non-breeding Black-tailed Godwits but still in their summer plumage.

Also a couple of Shelduck.

The gulls present were mainly Black-headed Gulls with a few Herring Gulls thrown in and a couple of Mediterranean Gulls, one of which is shown here.Just look at that stonking crimson bill and pure white wings!!!

But what I was looking for was a rather small gull with a black cap stretching to the back of its head and a small black bill. I eventually found it a few hundred yards east of the slipway and about half way from the sea wall to the water's edge. Not as close as I would like but close enough for some shots.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!!