Sunday 6 September 2015

All day birding

Hello

Yesterday (Saturday) saw Kenny Cramer and team commit to a ringing session at Linford Lakes, Milton Keynes which provided a big catch of 74 new birds and 17 re-traps. This included the first Cetti's Warbler to be caught at this site plus 4 Reed Warblers, 8 Blackcaps, 3 Chiffchaffs, 4 Treecreepers, 5 Goldcrests, a Marsh Tit and a Kingfisher.

This morning (Sunday) saw some ringing take place in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir under the leadership of Dave Francis. Fifty-three birds were caught, the highlights being 12 Blackcaps, 2 Reed Warblers, a Chiffchaff, 5 Goldcrests, 2 Treecreepers, a Willow Tit, 2 Stock Doves, 2 Kingfishers and a Tree Pipit.

All day diurnal passage of passerines has been extremely heavy with large numbers of hirundines on the move plus wagtails, Meadow Pipits and constant numbers of Siskins.

Other birds seen or heard north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir this morning included a Great White Egret, 6 Little Egrets, an adult Yellow-legged Gull, a Curlew, 2 Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper, 2 Nuthatch and a Whinchat. An Otter was watched swimming in from the Walgrave Bay and in to the Scaldwell Bay, displacing waterfowl as it swam through the shallows and disappeared in to the Scaldwell feeder stream with prey.

Six Redstarts remained in hedging and feeding off fence posts and barbed wire between Walgrave village and Pitsford Reservoir, these birds being visible from a public footpath which is accessible from Bridle Road, Old. Other birds here today included at least one Whinchat, a Wheatear, two Spotted Flycatchers and 10+ Siskins.

Harrington Airfield provided some birds today with a Redstart, 2 Spotted Flycatchers and a Turtle Dove at the shooting wall off the concrete track, a Green Sandpiper on the muddy pool at the start of the concrete track, a Raven and two Whinchat on the old airstrip scrub.

Birds visible from the garden today at Hanging Houghton included 2+ Ravens, 15+ Siskins, a Brambling and 2+ Crossbills.

Blueberry Farm near Maidwell was again good for interesting migrants which included 3 Redstarts, 11 Whinchats, a Wheatear, a Tree Pipit, a Hobby and a Peregrine. A single flock of eleven Red Kites is easily the largest group recorded locally, these birds and up to twenty Common Buzzards seemingly taking advantage of some late harvesting and soil turning activity in the fields surrounding the long-term setaside complex.

Regards

Neil M



Kingfisher
Pitsford Reservoir

Adult Common Buzzard

Juvenile Common Buzzard


Redstart
Walgrave

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