Ditchford WeBs Count

Hello

For much of the day I was at Ditchford Gravel Pits part completing the monthly and rather late WeBs count. I concentrated my efforts at the older pits between Higham Ferrers and Ditchford Lane in the vain hope that whilst counting the wildfowl maybe the forest of willows might just turn up a tiny phylloscopus from Siberia. Every year I hope and every year I fail! In fact it was generally quiet but these old pits had nearly a thousand Wigeon packed in on them and smaller birds included nine Kingfishers, seven Cetti's Warblers, six Chiffchaffs, three Grey Wagtails and a couple of Siskins.

A female Peregrine was chasing passerines in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning and this afternoon there were eight Stonechats in the Blueberry Farm/Brampton Valley area where in addition two Crossbills flew east. A small number of Siskins flew over Hanging Houghton this morning and there were two Bramblings in the valley below the village with another at Walgrave village.

Regards

Neil M

Kingfisher.
Ditchford Gravel Pits
supports good numbers
of these colourful birds.