September birds

Hello

Yesterday the WeBS count was completed at Pitsford Reservoir in pleasant, warm conditions. Five Great White Egrets stalked the shallows and other birds included nine Pintail, an adult Yellow-legged Gull eating one of many dead fish, three Green Sandpipers and a juvenile Black Tern that spent much of its time hawking insects in the Scaldwell Bay. Other birds included a Snipe, three Grey Wagtails, a Goldeneye and a good build up of Wigeon. Yesterday afternoon and this morning Dave Francis conducted some ringing around the Old Scaldwell Road Feeding Station and netted a re-trap Sparrowhawk, a staggering forty-four Blackcaps, fourteen Chiffchaffs, four Meadow Pipits, three Tree Sparrows, two Reed Warblers, a Sedge Warbler and a Whitethroat plus more regular birds. The lowering water levels are now providing muddy edges and hence why three Ruff and a Black-tailed Godwit were seen there today and the Great White Egret count went up to six.

At Harrington Airfield a ringing session this morning provided ninety-four captures of thirteen species regularly encountered here, the majority of birds being Yellowhammers, Meadow Pipits, Dunnocks, Goldfinches and Blackcaps. A Blackcap was bearing a British ring from elsewhere, seemingly first ringed in August 2020 but we will have to await further details. A Wheatear and a Whinchat were at the old airfield yesterday afternoon and today a Wheatear showed briefly at Bunker Two. Other birds noted today included a Golden Plover and overflying migrants included three Grey Wagtails.

Down at Linford Lakes Kenny and Keith worked the nets both yesterday morning and this morning, catching and processing 118 birds of eighteen species which included twenty Chiffchaffs, twenty-eight Blackcaps, twelve Meadow Pipits, eight Reed Buntings, nine Reed Warblers, a Sedge Warbler, two Cetti's Warblers, four Kingfishers, a Marsh Tit, a Black-headed Gull, two Snipe and the star bird a splendid Green Sandpiper.

Jacob was with a small team working on Short-eared Owls at Spurn last night, trialing a few amended catching techniques which paid off with six birds caught and ringed!

A Whinchat was at 'shrike hedge' in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton today and birds at Borough Hill Country Park included three Stonechats and a Whinchat. A Marsh Harrier was seen over Summer Leys LNR this afternoon and the Bittern was still there yesterday.

Regards

Neil M

Kingfisher.

Clifden Nonpareil courtesy
of Jim Dunkley.

Wheatear courtesy of
John Gamble.