SP54 Long Day Count

Hello 

I undertook a BOS twelve hour Long Day Count in SP54 today, deep in the south of the county, recording about seventy species of bird within the ten x ten kilometre square. The HS2 (High Speed rail) project is affecting many of the areas within this square. The highlights for me were watching two Red Foxes playing in straw bales at dawn, a hunting Mink devouring two Crayfishes (invasive species eating invasive species) and running off with a fish, and a brood of just-fledged Long-tailed Tits all lined up together on a branch (sadly obscured due to vegetation).

Scarcer birds included a Peregrine on a church, three singing Spotted Flycatchers (two at Marston St Lawrence and one at Edgcote) and two Wheatears near Halse Copse. Ravens were at three locations, a drake Mandarin Duck was at Edgcote and a first year Yellow-legged Gull flew over at Farthinghoe LNR. A Grey Wagtail was at Thenford, Yellow Wagtails were at three locations and Kingfisher at Trafford Marsh.  Although present in small numbers in this square I failed to find both Marsh Tit and Nuthatch.

Clifford Hill Pits was good again for waders today and passerines too with eight Whimbrel, three Dunlin, a Turnstone, a Black Tern, two Hobbies, ten Wheatears, a Whinchat and a Spotted Flycatcher. Stanwick Pits was good for between four to six Cattle Egrets and a Hobby and a Wheatear were at Stortons Pits.

An Osprey was at Thrapston Pits today plus two pairs of Oystercatchers and a Kingfisher.

The south-facing slope of Borough Hill Country Park was good for four Whinchats, six Wheatears, a Grasshopper Warbler and a Spotted Flycatcher and over at the A5 pools near Lilbourne there were two Sanderlings.

At Harrington Airfield this afternoon birds included a male Common Redstart, two Whinchats, at least four Wheatears and a singing Sedge Warbler. The Cattle Egret was again at Pitsford Reservoir by the Old Scaldwell Road Feeding Station with a Yellow-legged Gull, a Common Sandpiper and two Oystercatchers at the dam end.

Regards

Neil M

A just-fledged brood
of Long-tailed Tits.

Black-tailed Godwit at
Summer Leys LNR courtesy
of Dave Jackson.

Common Redshank and Spotted
Redshank at Summer Leys LNR
courtesy of Dave Jackson.