Hello
The first Common Bird Census for the season at Pitsford Reservoir took place today. It was initially just three degrees centigrade when we commenced at 6.15am but it soon warmed up in the spring sunshine before becoming very blustery. Plenty of singing Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers were on-site and scarcer migrants included an Arctic Tern and a Yellow Wagtail first thing and a White Wagtail later on the causeway. At least one pair of Oystercatcher remain. Mammals were very much in evidence with nine Muntjac counted on the way around the reserve plus a couple each of Red Fox and Brown Hare and a small number of common butterflies in more sheltered areas.
Also early on this morning, four Yellow Wagtails and a Cuckoo were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton, but without doubt the most unexpected bird of the day was a female Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at Blueberry Farm in small hedgerow trees between the two farmhouses, the first record locally for many years. A hunting Barn Owl there was far more predictable!
A ringing session at Stortons Gravel Pits this morning included a catch of an early Sedge Warbler, a re-trap from a couple of years ago.
Regards
Neil M
The first Common Bird Census for the season at Pitsford Reservoir took place today. It was initially just three degrees centigrade when we commenced at 6.15am but it soon warmed up in the spring sunshine before becoming very blustery. Plenty of singing Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers were on-site and scarcer migrants included an Arctic Tern and a Yellow Wagtail first thing and a White Wagtail later on the causeway. At least one pair of Oystercatcher remain. Mammals were very much in evidence with nine Muntjac counted on the way around the reserve plus a couple each of Red Fox and Brown Hare and a small number of common butterflies in more sheltered areas.
Also early on this morning, four Yellow Wagtails and a Cuckoo were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton, but without doubt the most unexpected bird of the day was a female Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at Blueberry Farm in small hedgerow trees between the two farmhouses, the first record locally for many years. A hunting Barn Owl there was far more predictable!
A ringing session at Stortons Gravel Pits this morning included a catch of an early Sedge Warbler, a re-trap from a couple of years ago.
Regards
Neil M
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| Brown Hare Pitsford Reservoir |
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| Red Kite Pitsford Reservoir |
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| White Wagtail Pitsford Reservoir |
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| Sedge Warbler Stortons Gravel Pits Courtesy of Chris Payne |
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