Latest Bird News and Sightings
Species shown in red on this page are BBRC rarities or species recorded on less than ten occasions in the county and those in blue are county rarities (generally more than 10 records since 1941, but less than annual). This is a news service only – reports have not been verified or subjected to scrutiny by the LROS Records Committee.
Latest Bird News and Sightings
Species shown in red on this page are BBRC rarities or species recorded on less than ten occasions in the county and those in blue are county rarities (generally more than 10 records since 1941, but less than annual). This is a news service only – reports have not been verified or subjected to scrutiny by the LROS Records Committee.
May 9th Tri-county Bird Race
The final scores were as follows: Leics & Rutland 138; Nottinghamshire 136; Derbyshire 134. Thanks to everyone who took part and sent in their records. The full list of species recorded in Leics and Rutland on the day can be seen on the Google Tally Sheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mZvAxbVC6nsaxgYozc6qIs1HZRIuSs8JrUW110xFm9E/edit?usp=sharing
WeBS Co-ordinator Brian Moore is still looking for people who are willing to help at Eyebrook Reservoir, which has difficulty in completing the count each month, also counters for Frisby Gravel Pits, Dishley Pool and Nanpantan Reservoir.
Please get in touch if you are interested and would like to take on a site. It only takes a couple of hours once a month (between September and March) and is of importance to the nationwide knowledge of the status of wildfowl and other waterbirds.
Brian Moore
brian1806.bm@googlemail.com
Please read this before sending in your news or photographs.
Listing page updated 5th April 2026.
For Sale/Wanted page updated 12th April 2026.
May 2026
Wednesday 20th May
Rutland Water: Glossy Ibis, Sanderling & drake Garganey still, Lagoon 4.
Tuesday 19th May
Rutland Water: Glossy Ibis still Lagoon 4 this morning at least, also 4 Sanderlings, Arctic Tern & pair of Garganey still.
Monday 18th May
Rutland Water: Glossy Ibis still, Lagoon 1; Sanderling & pair of Garganey still, Lagoon 4.
Sunday 17th May
Rutland Water: Glossy Ibis, Sanderling & pair of Garganey still, Lagoon 4.
Swithland Res: Osprey on the south side this morning.
Saturday 16th May
Rutland Water: pair of Garganey, Lagoon 4, but no sign of White-winged Black Terns (the same two birds were seen at three different sites in Yorkshire today).
Friday 15th May
Rutland Water: 2 White-winged Black Terns, Lagoon 4 this evening, also Grey Plover still.
Wednesday 13th May
Rutland Water: Sanderling, Turnstone & Grey Plover, Lagoon 4.
Swithland Res: drake Common Scoter on north side.
Monday 11th May
Rutland Water: Black Tern, Lagoon 3; Grey Plover still, Lagoon 4.
Sunday 10th May
Rutland Water: Temminck’s Stint & Turnstone briefly on Lagoon 4 late morning, but no sign of either after c12:20. Also Grey Plover & 2 Bar-tailed Godwits there; 2 Wood Sandpipers, Lagoon 8; Black Tern still, Lagoon 1.
Saturday 9th May
Empingham: Night Heron sound-recorded flying over at 01:15.
Rutland Water: Wood Sandpiper, Lagoon 3; Grey Plover & 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, Lagoon 4.
Eyebrook Res: juv Whooper Swan still at the island.
Thursday 7th May
Eyebrook Res: 3 Cattle Egrets on the north side of the island this morning.
Rutland Water: Wood Sandpiper, Lagoon 8; 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, Lagoon 4.
Wednesday 6th May
Eyebrook Res: 1 Black Tern, 3+ Arctic Terns, 2 Dunlin & 1 Common Sandpiper.
Stanford Res: no sign of Ring-necked Duck today.
Tuesday 5th May
Stanford Res (permit holders only): drake Ring-necked Duck still, also Black Tern.
Rutland Water: 3 Bar-tailed Godwits, Lagoon 4; Wood Sandpipers on Lagoons 4 & 5.
Wanlip Scrape: Wood Sandpiper.
Monday 4th May
Stanford Res (permit holders only): drake Ring-necked Duck still, also adult Kittiwake flew east at 08:15.
Thornton Res: Kittiwake briefly early morning before flying off north.
Quorn: Crane flew east at 18:30.
Sunday 3rd May
Stanford Res (permit holders only): drake Ring-necked Duck at the dam end, also 1 Arctic Tern.
Cossington Meadows: 2 Whinchats on fence between Lower Moor pool & Plover Meadow pool, also Dunlin & Ringed Plover.
Eyebrook Res: Whinchat at the inflow.
Swithland Res: 2 Arctic Terns on the north side this afternoon.
Rutland Water: Black Tern still, Lagoon 3 & Wood Sandpiper still, Lagoon 4.
Drake Ring-necked Duck, Stanford Res © Chris Hubbard
Friday 1st May
Rutland Water: 2 Black Terns, Lagoon 1; 4 Wood Sandpipers, Lagoon 4 + 2 Bar-tailed Godwits flew over.
Eyebrook Res: 8 Black Terns, Grey Plover & Bar-tailed Godwit.
April 2026
Wednesday 29th April
Rutland Water: Spoonbill, Lagoon 3; Cattle Egret, Wet Meadow; Wood Sandpiper & 2 Grey Plovers, Lagoon 4.
Cossington Meadows: 5 Wood Sandpipers on Lower Moor pool till 19:30 when they flew off north.
Watermead CP North: 3 Arctic Terns, King Lear’s Lake.
Tuesday 28th April
Arctic Terns today: Eyebrook Res, up to 40 by late afternoon; Cropston Res, 10+ this afternoon; Lockington GP, 5 flew north-east; Swithland Res, probably two different birds through this morning.
Rutland Water: 4 Wood Sandpipers, Lagoon 8 still, 2 Grey Plovers, Lagoon 4 & 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, Lagoon 3.
Monday 27th April
Rutland Water: 4 Wood Sandpipers, Lagoon 8; 2 Grey Plovers, Lagoon 4.
Sunday 26th April
Rutland Water: Bar-tailed Godwit & 2 Grey Plovers, Lagoon 4; Black Tern, Lagoon 1.
Eyebrook Res: Whimbrel at the Island.
Saturday 25th April
Eyebrook Res: 2 Wood Sandpipers at the island early morning, also 2 Black Terns.
Rutland Water: Knot, North Arm; Bar-tailed Godwit, Lagoon 4.
Friday 24th April
Eyebrook Res: Little Tern, 11 Black Terns, 23+ Little Gulls, Grey Plover, Whimbrel, Bar-tailed Godwit, Greenshank, 2 Scaup, 3 Pink-footed Geese, juv Whooper Swan & c20 Swifts.
Rutland Water: 3 Bar-tailed Godwits & 1 Little Gull, Lagoon 3.
Shepshed: Wood Warbler singing in Whitehorse Wood.
Thursday 23rd April
Eyebrook Res: Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel & Grey Plover all on the south shore, also 5 Black Terns.
Rutland Water: Grey Plover & Little Gull, Lagoon 4; 3 Bar-tailed Godwits & 3 Black Terns, Lagoon 3.
Wednesday 22nd April
Rutland Water: 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, Lagoon 4; Red-necked Grebe still, south end of the dam.
Eyebrook Res: 2 Arctic Terns at the north end early afternoon.
Stanford Res (permit holders only): 3 Bar-tailed Godwits on the dam briefly early morning.
Bar-tailed Godwits, Stanford Res © Chris Hubbard
Tuesday 21st April
Rutland Water: Crane flew west over North Arm at 10:00, also Bar-tailed Godwit & 4 Arctic Terns, Lagoon 4.
Saturday 18th April
Cossington Meadows: female Redstart, north end of Swan Meadow this morning.
Eyebrook Res: 5 Scaup, 3 Pink-footed Geese & juv Whooper Swan still, also 2 Common Sandpipers.
Rutland Water: 2 Red-necked Grebes still, North Arm & dam.
Friday 17th April
Eyebrook Res: 1 Black Tern early morning only.
Stanford Res: 1 Arctic Tern this afternoon.
Cossington Meadows: 1 Cuckoo.
Watermead CP North: 3 Common Terns, King Lear’s Lake + Hobby; nearby Green Sandpiper still, Wanlip Scrape.
Rutland Water: Red-necked Grebe still, North Arm.
Wednesday 15th April
Eyebrook Res: 4 Scaup, 3 Pink-footed Geese & juv Whooper Swan (different bird to the one that’s been there all winter and presumably the ‘new’ one of the two that were here on Sunday).
Groby Pool: Hobby this morning.
Monday 13th April
Swithland Res: male Whinchat on the quarry side of the ‘crossover’ on Kinchley Lane, also Common Sandpiper on the overflow channel.
Rutland Water: Channel Wagtail (not Blue-headed) at the dam, also Red-necked Grebe still.
Eyebrook Res: 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Scaup, 1 Whooper Swan & 3 Pink-footed Geese still.
Sunday 12th April
Bradgate Park: male Whinchat still west of the ruins.
Warren Hills: 2 Ring Ouzels still.
Aylestone Meadows: male Redstart, King’s Lock paddocks on east side of the canal this morning.
Eyebrook Res: 4 Scaup still, 2 juv Whooper Swans, 3 Pink-footed Geese still + 2 Common Sandpipers.
Saturday 11th April
Bradgate Park: male Whinchat & 3 Wheatears west of the ruins.
Rutland Water: 5 Arctic Terns, North Arm/Burley Fishponds late morning.
Warren Hills: 1 Ring Ouzel still.
Friday 10th April
Warren Hills: 1+ Ring Ouzel still in the usual field (bird present this morning at least was a well-marked female, not a male as reported on national news services), also male & female Wheatears. Nearby, another female Ring Ouzel at Charnwood Lodge NR, near Flat Hill, just off Abbey Road.
Rutland Water: both Red-necked Grebes still ( North Arm and south end of the dam).
Thursday 9th April
Warren Hills: 4 Ring Ouzels this afternoon.
Misterton: male Pied Flycatcher briefly by the lake mid afternoon then flew into private land.
Rutland Water: Red-necked Grebe, North Arm still.
Eyebrook Res: 5 Scaup, Whooper Swan & 3 Pink-footed Geese still.
Wednesday 8th April
Warren Hills: 1 Ring Ouzel still; nearby, Cuckoo at Charnwood Lodge.
Eyebrook Res: adult Little Gull early morning but no sign later; Whitethroat, 5+ Scaup, Whooper Swan & 3 Pink-footed Geese still.
Rutland Water: Red-necked Grebe still, North Arm.
Cossington Meadows: Reed Warbler, Whitethroat & Green Sandpiper.
Stanford Res (permit holders only): 1 Reed Warbler.
Tuesday 7th April
Eyebrook Res: Crane flew over the inflow late morning and circled around over Stoke Dry before eventually flying off south-west (first site record), also Spoonbill at the inflow briefly this afternoon before flying off north, Wheatear on the bank between Sam’s Dyke and the dam, Green Sandpiper, 9 Scaup, 3 Pink-footed Geese & Whooper Swan still.
Warren Hills: male Ring Ouzel still.
Rutland Water: 3 Little Gulls, Lagoon 3; 2 Greenshanks, Lagoon 1.
Monday 6th April
Croft: Stone-Curlew sound-recorded over at 04:36.
Wanlip Meadows: 1st-summer Spoonbill on Wanlip Scrape this morning.
Warren Hills: 2 Ring Ouzels.
Rutland Water: Red-necked Grebes still, North Arm & dam.
Eyebrook Res: 11 Scaup, Whooper Swan & 3 Pink-footed Geese still + Yellow Wagtail.
Sunday 5th April
Warren Hills: male Ring Ouzel in the usual field with the metal gate.
Eyebrook Res: 12 Scaup, 3 Pink-footed Geese & Whooper Swan still.
Saturday 4th April
Rutland Water: adult Little Gull & Sedge Warbler, Lagoon 3; Red-necked Grebe still, North Arm.
Eyebrook Res: 8+ Scaup, 3 Pink-footed Geese & Whooper Swan still.
Friday 3rd April
Rutland Water: male & Female Red-breasted Mergansers at the dam then later in South Arm 1, also Red-necked Grebe still & Common Scoter at the dam; 2nd Red-necked Grebe still, North Arm.
Eyebrook Res: 9 Scaup still, 3 Pink-footed Geese & Whooper Swan.
Wednesday 1st April
Rutland Water: Kittiwake at the dam this evening, also Red-necked Grebe still, male & female Common Scoters, Main Water & the second Red-necked Grebe still in the North Arm.
Eyebrook Res: Yellow Wagtail at the island, also 3 Pink-footed Geese still; 12 Scaup off the Plantation & Whooper Swan at the inflow still.