Thursday 23 July 2020

Rambling around Pitsford

Hello

David Arden enjoyed a busy birding session in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir this morning with four Red-crested Pochards on show from the Bird Club hide, a Green Sandpiper, a Yellow-legged Gull, a 9am Osprey but the best was a Spoonbill circling over the reserve at 9.30am before heading off west!

I spent much of the day leading a small Naturetrek group around the reserve but our bird sightings were much more humble! Showy Marsh Tits were just the job at a couple of places and in addition to David's birds we encountered a Common Sandpiper and a couple of Little Egrets but nothing out of the ordinary.

The insects were better and Mischa was kind enough to provide a selection of moths from the overnight moth trap catch for us to look at prior to release, totaling twenty-four species and including classics such as Bufftip, Drinker, Poplar Hawk-moth and Yellowtail.

Fifteen species of butterfly showed generally very well and included singles of Marbled White and Purple Hairstreak and the big dragonflies were out in force with good numbers of Brown Hawker, Southern Hawker, Blue Emperor and a single Migrant Hawker whizzing around. A couple of Four-spotted Chasers and rather more Black-tailed Skimmers and lots of Ruddy Darters all added to the show and damselflies included singles of Large Red and Emerald. Roesel's Bush-crickets were numerous and noisy!

Steve's gull watching at Stanwick Pits this afternoon provided a third summer Caspian Gull and at least twenty-two Yellow-legged Gulls. A Great White Egret was seen at Summer Leys LNR this morning and an Osprey was seen near Hollowell village.

A map of Salcey Forest has been added to the Birdwatching Sites tab as kindly compiled by Neil Hasdell.

Regards

Neil M

Ringlet butterfly
courtesy of John Tilly.

Great Crested Grebe
courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Common Sandpipers.

Common Tern.

Southern Hawker.



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