Pitsford WeBs Count

Hello

Much of the day was spent completing the WeBs count at Pitsford Reservoir with some interesting figures. At least thirteen Great White Egrets were north of the causeway, twenty-five Little Egrets were spread around the reservoir and nine Red-crested Pochard were initially in the Walgrave Bay but moved to the Holcot Bay. A Ferruginous x Red-crested Pochard kept with the Tufted Ducks and forty-four Pintail were mostly in the Scaldwell Bay. Apart from Lapwings the only waders were two Common Snipe, two Common Sandpipers and two Dunlin. Three adult Whooper Swans with the Mute Swans off the Old Scaldwell Road looked superb in the autumn sunshine.

A first year and very scaly Ring Ouzel was in bushes below the dam, a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was in the Catwalk Bay and small numbers of Siskins, Redpolls and Chiffchaffs were around the reservoir south of the causeway. A first year female Peregrine was also hunting south of the causeway and other birds included four Grey Wagtails, a White Wagtail and a pair of Stonechat. An adult Yellow-legged Gull was north of the causeway and three more were in the gull roost off the Sailing Club. An Otter was loafing off the dam first thing this morning.

Sadly there were numbers of dead geese at the reservoir today, presumably casualties of bird flu with Greylags being particularly hard hit.

A pair of Stonechats were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton today and this afternoon a Short-eared Owl showed nicely at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell. A Great White Egret and a Stonechat were at Thrapston Pits and birds at Stanford Reservoir amounted to four Red-crested Pochard, five Pintail, a Great White Egret, two Green Sandpipers and a Stonechat.

Regards

Neil M

Little Egret.

Common Buzzard eating
one of the goose casualties
at Pitsford Reservoir.

Lapwing.

Whooper Swans.