Pitsford Reservoir birds

Hello

Some more bird ringing took place at Pitsford Reservoir today utlising mist nets in the Walgrave Bay with a reasonable number of captures without anything spectacular. A young male Kingfisher was a highlight plus small numbers of Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Garden Warbler, a couple of Great Spotted Woodpeckers and a juvenile Marsh Tit.

Other birds on-site included a Ruddy Shelduck, two Great White Egrets, a Common Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper, two drake Red-crested Pochard, a Yellow-legged Gull and the male Common Redstart still in the hedgerow opposite the Paul Britten bench. Small numbers of Yellow Wagtails and hirundines were trickling south overhead in quite dull conditions and a Marbled White butterfly was noted too.

At Stanford Reservoir the Garganey was still present with three Water Rails noted on the Leicestershire bank and a Common Sandpiper was on the canal at Blisworth. Eleanor saw a Marsh Harrier in the Brampton Valley heading towards Blueberry Farm at about 2.20pm with at least two Clouded Yellow butterflies active in the nectar strips there. Three or four Spotted Flycatchers were at the southern edge of the Lamport Hall complex this evening.

Regards

Neil M

Kingfisher.

Common Swift courtesy
of Steve Wilson.

Marsh Harrier courtesy of
Robin Gossage.