Ditchford WeBs count

Hello

A week late but time to complete the WeBs count at Ditchford Pits today and as usual I started with the area to the west of Ditchford Lane which these days is rather quiet but in the past has produced some good birds. A calling Corn Bunting which then flew into the ash tree in front of me was not at all predicted! A Tree Sparrow was a little further along, both these species being uncommon in this part of the county. Also west of Ditchford Lane were three Egyptian Geese, an adult Peregrine and several Kingfishers and a couple of Grey Wagtails.

Riverside Park off Wharf Road, Higham Ferrers is generally quiet and it was today so then to the Wilsons Pits complex which had three broods of Tufted Ducks, a monster brood of five Great Crested Grebe youngsters and a smaller brood of Little Grebes. Plenty of dragonflies on the wing (with Migrant Hawkers dominating) but a sad lack of Hobbies. Four Great White Egrets standing together on Delta Pit was good but a keep net positioned in some sedge to trap an Otter wasn't - a ploy by fishermen to trap and kill Otters is to place live fish in a keep net and leave it strategically positioned so the Otter goes in but seemingly can't then clamber out and eventually drowns.

More Kingfishers and a couple more Grey Wagtails were encountered but the only wader on my wanderings was a single Common Sandpiper.

Birds at Stanford Reservoir today included two juvenile Black Terns, a Whinchat, a Common Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper, a Shelduck, two Hobbies, a Spotted Flycatcher and five Swifts. The ringers captured one hundred and ninety-seven new birds which included four Grasshopper Warblers.

The three Black Terns were still at Pitsford Reservoir today, as were four Great White Egrets, six Green Sandpipers, two Common Sandpipers and four Common Snipe.

A Whinchat was noted at Hollowell Reservoir today and two Common Redstarts were still at Harrington Airfield. The Ferruginous Duck wasn't seen at Daventry Country Park this morning but birds there included a Curlew over, a Black-tailed Godwit, at least three Green Sandpipers and at least two Common Sandpipers.

A Wryneck was a great garden find at Plumpton Road, Woodend in South Northants this afternoon and evening! A Cuckoo was between Ecton and Earls Barton today and birds at Summer Leys LNR included a Greenshank, three Black-tailed Godwits, two Green Sandpipers and a Little Ringed Plover.

A Black Tern was still at Stanwick Pits this morning and a Cattle Egret was noted too.

Two Common Redstarts and two Spotted Flycatchers were at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell and two Common Redstarts and eight Spotted Flycatchers were at Lamport Hall.

Regards

Neil M

Coot.

Migrant Hawker.

Wildlife Trust Highland Cow.