Pitsford CBC

Hello

The morning was taken up with a Common Bird Census around the reserve section of Pitsford Reservoir, preceded by a brief but stunning orange/red sunrise before being quickly blotted out by low cloud.

A calling Water Pipit flying over east early this morning was rather unexpected and the remainder of the survey was far more mediocre! Early morning around the reserve provides the best opportunity of seeing mammals and in addition to the many Muntjac I enjoyed good views of Red Fox, Brown Hare and a fine buck Roe Deer. Two very vocal Great White Egrets are slowly coming into summer plumage and they were mobile too, visiting all three bays. The Cormorant colony is busy and already there are begging youngsters in the nests; the Rooks also have begging youngsters in the nest.

Two Oystercatchers were still present today and other waders included two Snipe, two Green Sandpipers and a Greenshank. Passerines included several Yellow Wagtails and an excellent collection of eleven White Wagtails on the causeway - much to the dismay of the local male Pied Wagtail! Two Siskins, three Redpolls, singing Redwings and quite a number of Goldeneye were left-overs from the previous season. Adrian located the Great Northern Diver between Pintail Bay and the Sailing Club.

Harrington Airfield today remained the venue for the passage Ring Ouzel, male Common Redstart, twelve or so Bramblings and up to forty-five Golden Plovers.

The Earls Barton Pits complex included an apparent female Blue-headed Wagtail, three White Wagtails, two Mediterranean Gulls, a Curlew, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Green Sandpiper, five Little Ringed Plovers and as many as fifteen Common Terns.

Stanwick Pits attracted a fly-through ringtail Hen Harrier - ironically seen by Mark Avery - and other birds seen there included two Cattle Egrets. Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston harboured a Greenshank and a Bar-tailed Godwit today and a Green Sandpiper was at Hollowell Reservoir.

A Ring Ouzel was reported near Upton on wasteland to the north of the A4500 east of Harpole, a Woodlark was reported flying north this morning on the Warks/Northants border at Onley and a Cuckoo was reported fron Stanford Reservoir. An Otter was seen at Becketts Park, Northampton this morning.

A map for the Ecton SF/Cogenhoe Mill area has been devised by Neil Hasdell and has been added to the Birdwatching Site Maps tab.

Regards

Neil M

Brown Hare.

Common Redstart.

Ring Ouzel.

The above images are from
Harrington Airfield courtesy
of David Arden.

Kingfisher courtesy
of Robin Gossage.