Visitors from the east

Hello

A ringing session around the Old Scaldwell Road Feeding Station at Pitsford Res this morning was all about quality as opposed to quantity. Seven Common Snipe caught and ringed was a good result as this species is particularly difficult to catch. No more Redwings hit the nets today but we did catch a Song Thrush, a couple of new Blackbirds and another Blackbird bearing a Norwegian ring! Further evidence that this current influx of Blackbirds are coming from far afield indeed.

We caught a handful of Tree Sparrows, four new birds ensuring we have now caught and ringed over 190 on-site this year, a record for Pitsford and presumably a good indication that the warm and moist summer was good for this species locally. An adult male Green Woodpecker was another welcome catching addition.

Birds seen included two Great White Egrets, a dozen Red-crested Pochard, a Black Swan and a Barn Owl dozing in the willows at the back of the Scaldwell Bay.

Birds at Harrington Airfield today included two Short-eared Owls, a male Peregrine and about 50 Golden Plovers.

Regards

Neil M