Pitsford WeBS count

Hello

The Pitsford Reservoir WeBS count was completed today in mild and sunny conditions. Three Great White Egrets were using all three bays north of the causeway, three Little Egrets were in the Scaldwell Bay, four drake Red-crested Pochards (one leucistic) were also in the Scaldwell Bay and other birds included three Pintail, forty-eight Common Snipe, a Green Sandpiper and an adult Yellow-legged Gull. 

Finches included a flying Crossbill, a Brambling at the main feeding station and at least fifteen Redpolls. Other small birds included two Grey Wagtails, two pairs of Stonechats and five Chiffchaffs. A couple of Kingfishers were about as were 4-6 Ravens and two Water Rails were heard calling.

The gull roost at Pitsford Reservoir is very small these days but the roost at Boddington Reservoir this afternoon included a Caspian Gull, eleven Yellow-legged Gulls and estimates of 2000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 2500 Black-headed Gulls and many Common and Herring Gulls.

Two Stonechats were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning and approximately fifty Crossbills remain at Wakerley Wood, mostly around the car park area.

Birds at Hollowell Reservoir today included the Great Northern Diver still, a Caspian Gull (some of the recent photos of a reported Caspian Gull there depict a Yellow-legged Gull), six Pink-footed Geese and a Crossbill.

Regards

Neil M

Great White Egret.

Cormorant.