Friday 12 August 2016

Pitsford stuff

Hello

On 5th August an adult Common Tern bearing a colour ring was perched up on one of the fence posts in front of the superb new Bird Club Hide at Pitsford Reservoir in the Scaldwell Bay. It was exhibiting a yellow ring on the left leg with the inscription C26 in black letters. The BTO Ringing Unit processed this report rapidly and it transpires that this bird was ringed as a nestling on 2nd July 2014 at Bedfont Lakes, East Bedfont, Greater London. It is not clear if this was a breeding adult utilising the tern rafts at Pitsford.

Other Pitsford news includes the completion last week of an intentionally planted Phragmites reed-bed between the Holcot and Walgrave bays, in the shallow lagoon in front of the Lagoon Hide. This 100m x 2m strip is screened to try and protect it from grazing geese and will hopefully flourish into a viable permanent reed-bed.

Ringing sessions are planned locally for this coming Sunday with John Woollett making a 6am start at Stortons Gravel Pits meeting in the small fisherman's car park off the roundabout below the Sixfields Stadium, and Dave Francis is hoping to try the main feeding station on the Old Scaldwell Road at Pitsford Reservoir. Warblers should present themselves at both sites and there should be Tree Sparrows active at Pitsford.

Regards

Neil M


Ruddy Darter
courtesy of Cathy Ryden.
"I want to be a swan!"
Cormorant 'playing' with
a swan feather courtesy
of Cathy Ryden.
Spotted Flycatcher courtesy
of Cathy Ryden.


Green Sandpiper at
Pitsford Reservoir
by Robin Gossage.





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