Pitsford day tour

Hello

Today was another Naturetrek day tour at Pitsford Reservoir with a wander around the reserve section. First we looked at the moths that had been caught by Mischa amounting to twenty species with perhaps the highlights being three species of Hawk-moth - Pine, Poplar and Privet. In addition a Purple Hairstreak butterfly was on the buddleias at the Fishing Lodge which were inundated with Red Admirals.

A female Gadwall with grown up ducklings and adult and juvenile Little Grebes were good breeding records but the cool breeze and showers initially suppressed the larger insects with no larger dragonflies along the water edge. As it began to warm up we connected with a couple of Southern Hawkers and Ruddy Darters and the common butterflies emerged.

Breeding warblers were difficult to see but Marsh Tits were calling all around the reserve suggesting a good breeding season. A single Crossbill was calling in flight at the juncture of the Holcot and Walgrave Bays and Little Egrets were mobile and probably numbered about ten birds. 

In the Walgrave Bay we located Emerald Damselflies, heard Nuthatches and watched both Brown Hare and Muntjac. On the west side of the bay we saw the first of several Common Blue butterflies and watched three fledged juvenile Sparrowhawks in the trees. Red Kites and Common Buzzards were riding the strong breeze and a Marsh Harrier was doing much the same thing over the fields between the Scaldwell and Walgrave Bays. An adult Yellow-legged Gull found something dead in the water and Spotted Flycatchers were at the back of the Scaldwell Bay.

Viewing from the Bird Club hide today yielded six Red-crested Pochards and David Arden also saw a Redshank, two Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper and a Wheatear. Small Heath butterflies remain in the Scaldwell Meadow, Tree Sparrows are visiting the feeding station at the Old Scaldwell Road and a female Tufted Duck was minding three small ducklings off the causeway.

Eleanor saw a juvenile Marsh Harrier and three Clouded Yellows in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton today.

Summer Leys and the Hardwater Lake at Earls Barton again attracted the wandering Spoonbill this evening and other birds on the gravel pits complex included four Great White Egrets, a Greenshank, two Common Sandpipers, a Peregrine and a Hobby. Stanwick Pits held three Cattle Egrets, a Common Sandpiper and two Green Sandpipers. A large flock of over seven hundred Lesser Black-backed Gulls were in a ploughed field between Clopton and Bythorn.

Regards

Neil M

Common Tern.

Coronet.

Great Crested Grebe.

Lapwing.

Poplar Hawk-moth.

Privet Hawk-moth.

Tufted Duck and ducklings.