Ditchford WeBS count.

Hello

Today I spent much of the day at Ditchford Pits completing the WeBS count on my allocated section of this very large complex. It remained cold and breezy but dry with some sunshine and there were reasonable numbers of wildfowl present. West of Ditchford Lane and birds located included two Great White Egrets, two Egyptian Geese, two Water Rails, six Cetti's Warblers, a Grey Wagtail and a Chiffchaff. East of Ditchford Lane and the best of the rest was a Great White Egret, two Little Egrets, at least one Water Rail, 7-9 Goosanders, three Cetti's Warblers, a Siskin, eight Common Snipe and two Jack Snipe. Sadly I failed to record a Kingfisher anywhere - particularly concerning as the last two Short Day Counts over the week-end also failed to find any; muddy, coloured water is their enemy and periods of heavy rain make their efforts at finding food particularly difficult.

Sadly there were no sightings of Yellow-browed Warbler(s) at Earls Barton Pits today despite some determined looking. Other birds noted there included a small flock of Siskins and a Jack Snipe feeding with Common Snipe on the Summer Leys LNR (the Jack Snipe on the main lake margin as seen from the PB hide).

The Pink-footed Goose was again at Ravensthorpe Reservoir early this afternoon and birds at Stanford Reservoir included a first winter Kittiwake and a Caspian Gull in the roost and a Red-crested Pochard. Birding at Hollowell Reservoir yielded an adult Caspian Gull, a Golden Plover, five Common Snipe and a female Stonechat.

Two Twite near Yardley Gobion next to the Grand Union canal this morning is an unprecedented mid-winter sighting and a male Merlin was seen there too. Two Caspian Gulls (a first winter and a third winter) were on pools behind Royal Mail buildings near Lilbourne on the DIRFT 3 complex today.

Six Smew and two Scaup remained at Eyebrook Reservoir late this morning.

Regards

Neil M

Kingfisher.

Meadow Pipit.

Only room for two more!
Black-headed and Common
Gulls on a tern raft at
Pitsford Reservoir.

All images courtesy of
Robin Gossage.