Ditchford WeBs count

Hello

I completed an early WeBs count at Ditchford Pits today with Jaeger the collie for company. I split the count up into three sections, the first was grey and pretty quiet, the second was very wet and the third was sunny and breezy but pleasant! The birds were generally very quiet but reasonable numbers of warblers were moving through the bushes and taking advantage of the very first of the elderberries. The Cetti's Warblers were generally very quiet and unobtrusive. The first section provided a couple of Kingfishers, a Common Sandpiper, ten Egyptian Geese and a brood of Sparrowhawks. Two more Kingfishers were in the second section and of five Little Egrets four were juveniles.

The odonata revealed themselves in the third section and the River Nene is an excellent place for large numbers of Banded Demoiselles. Two broods of Tufted Duck and two broods of Gadwall and many broods of Great Crested Grebes indicated some good breeding success. A couple more Kingfishers, common warblers, another vocal brood of Sparrowhawks and a juvenile Cuckoo plus a reasonable showing of common butterflies was all rather pleasing.

Two Common Redstarts were at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this morning and a list of birds for Harrington Airfield by three different observers included a Wheatear, four Common Redstarts, three Ravens and the best was an early autumn Merlin racing past Bunker Three.

At Stanwick Pits this morning a near adult Caspian Gull was present early this morning as were two Garganey on the Main Lake. A Greenshank was found at Summer Leys LNR late this afternoon and Deene Lake attracted seven Green Sandpipers and two Black Swans.

Pitsford Reservoir this evening yielded a second summer Caspian Gull, three Yellow-legged Gulls (one a begging juvenile) and two/three Common Sandpipers all from the Sailing Club.

Regards

Neil M

Adult Sedge Warbler (with
diseased legs).

Himalayan Balsam is a beautiful
plant and the flowers attract plenty
of insects, particularly bees. However
it is classed as an invasive species as 
it chokes waterways.

Common Darter.

Female Banded Demoiselle.

All images from Ditchford Pits today.