Saturday 18 March 2017

Pitsford small bird census

Hello

Birds north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir today included the Red-necked Grebe still, a Peregrine, a Raven, 2 Oystercatchers, 2 Green Sandpipers, 3 Kingfishers, three small parties of Siskins, a singing Blackcap and 2 Sand Martins. There were 26 singing Chiffchaffs on the reserve today and a minimum count of singing song birds on the reserve located 59 singing Robins, 50 singing Wrens and 23 singing Dunnocks.

Of course not every singing bird represents an established pair but certainly an individual bird intent on holding territory. It took seven hours to complete the whole census with the optimum period being the first couple of hours after dawn. This means that some would-be songsters will have been silent by the time I had reached their territory and not every nook and cranny was visited, so the true number of birds holding territory will be higher. The mild conditions during the winter would have benefited all these birds.

A Raven and a Peregrine were over the village at Hanging Houghton this afternoon, a few Siskins were at Ravensthorpe Reservoir with two more at neighbouring Hollowell Reservoir which also hosted 5 Sand Martins, a Little Ringed Plover and a Dunlin.

Eric Graham's walk around the Titchmarsh Reserve today recorded 4 Little Egrets, a Water Rail, 8 singing Cetti's Warblers and 3 Redpolls.

Regards

Neil M


Carrion Crow
Pitsford Reservoir.

Brown Hare
Pitsford Reservoir.

Little Ringed Plover and
Dunlin at Hollowell Reservoir.

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