Hello
A very bright and sunny day with a cool NE breeze made for very pleasant conditions for the Naturetrek day tour around the reserve section of Pitsford Reservoir today.
After our 9am muster it was time for Mischa to show off some of the moths that had been captured in the moth traps. The autumn moths at Pitsford have become more exciting as the years have gone by and today was no exception with some stunning autumnal specimens which included dazzlers such as the scarce Merveille du Jour and the rare Clifden Nonpareil.
After this excitement we took an anti-clockwise walk around the reserve and the Holcot Bay provided a very brief view of a Stoat, the first Goldcrests of the day and great views of various dragonflies and a bold Spotted Flycatcher. Siskins were whizzing around everywhere with an estimate of about eighty on the reserve plus three smart Lesser Redpolls.
In the Walgrave Bay we espied the first two Great White Egrets of the day and subsequently saw four in the Scaldwell Bay but could only be sure of five birds overall. Little Egrets and Cormorants were easy viewings and an adult Great Crested Grebe made short work of a Jack Pike! More dragonflies were busy sunning themselves or hunting in the lee of the trees and there was a surprising number of Common Blue Damselflies on the wing too. Butterflies included some smart Small Coppers, a fresh Comma and Red Admiral. A Hobby was catching insects along the west section of the bay and the Roesel's Bush-crickets were both visual and audible despite the meadows being cut and baled.
We sat in Willows Hide in the Scaldwell Bay where one of the Great White Egrets posed. We could hear two Kingfishers calling but couldn't see them. All the birds on the bund flew up and we picked up on a juvenile male Peregrine hunting over the water. He disappeared and then came back again and we last saw him in hot pursuit of one of the Kingfishers and closing fast. Both birds disappeared from view behind the willows and we didn't see either of them again. After this the second Kingfisher emerged from his bush and we enjoyed 'scope views in bright sunshine.
Plenty new waterfowl were in including numbers of Wigeon and Shoveler and the Bird Club hide was good for additional views of birds already seen. Tree Sparrows fed from the feeders at the Old Scaldwell Road and an adult Yellow-legged Gull argued with a Lesser Black-backed Gull over rights to a dead fish. Three Common Sandpipers were chasing each other along the road causeway. All in all an enjoyable walk and some great autumnal wildlife!
Elsewhere and Hollowell Reservoir hosted a Great White Egret, five Dunlin and a Green Sandpiper and Stanwick yielded six Cattle Egrets, a Great White Egret. a Common Tern and two Yellow-legged Gulls.
Two Common Redstarts remained at Harrington Airfield today, Lamport Hall fielded one or two Common Redstart(s) and a Spotted Flycatcher and there were twenty-one Yellow Wagtails with the cattle at Hanging Houghton.
Regards
Neil M
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