5-Grebe-Day
New Years’ Day is my favourite day to bird. At no other time of year would you get a line of 20 birders at Rutland Water all desperately trying to glimpse a single male Siskin in a flock of Goldfinch. Whether you’re trying for a big year list or not, it’s hard not to catch the New Years’ Day bug. Arriving just after first light, my dad and I began at the North Arm, which is best viewed from the end of the road to the Warden’s Cottage, north off the road to Upper Hambleton. This is signed as a private road, but Tim Appleton is happy for birders to use it to view the arm (and his feeders, which had Coal Tit , Long-tailed Tit , Nuthatch and Marsh Tit while we were there). In the North Arm were the best views of 2 Black-Necked Grebes and a Slavonian Grebe that I’ve had here, and Dad managed to find a female-type Scaup in amongst the Tufted Ducks . Viewing from Old Hall in the direction of Manton Bay - the Red-Necked Grebe was found here Moving onto Old Hall, we’d already d...