Pitsford Webs count

Hello

Yesterday (Monday) saw the waterbird count at Pitsford Reservoir being completed for the month of September but there are no big numbers of waterfowl yet. The Wigeon are building up as expected but the Gadwall and Tufted Duck numbers are no better than July. Six Pintail in the Scaldwell Bay will no doubt increase if the water continues to fall and provide the muddy shallows they adore. South of the causeway an Osprey passed over heading south at height and there were four Common Sandpipers, a Common Redstart, two Crossbills and several bouncy flocks of Siskins. Birds north of the causeway included a Garganey on the shoreline in the Holcot Bay, four Great White Egrets, at least one Green Sandpiper (the Scaldwell Lagoon can no longer be viewed due to vegetation so who know what is in there!) and a couple of Common Sandpipers. A Black Tern arrived just before we concluded the count and other birds north of the causeway included a Tufted Duck with some Scaup genes near to the causeway, an adult Yellow-legged Gull, a Hobby or two, a Kingfisher, a Goldeneye and more Siskins.

There were still lots of Migrant Hawkers and Ruddy and Common Darters as well as a couple of tardy Southern and Brown Hawkers and butterflies included fresh Commas and Small Heaths.

At Hollowell Reservoir yesterday the Little Stint was showing with nine Ringed Plovers, a Greenshank, a Pink-footed Goose, a juvenile Caspian Gull and a Whinchat. Stanford Reservoir hosted two Marsh Harriers (one wing-tagged), the Ruddy Shelduck again, a Hobby and two Common Sandpipers with the ringers catching eighty-four new birds, processing two ringed birds from elsewhere and twenty-six re-traps.

Also yesterday there were a couple of reports of the Pectoral Sandpiper from Summer Leys LNR again and the Bittern showed well from the Double-decker hide. Other birds logged were a Dunlin, eight Ringed Plovers, five Common Sandpipers, a Little Ringed Plover, a Black-tailed Godwit and a Ruff.

A Black Tern was at Clifford Hill Pits and a Marsh Harrier was in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton in the evening. Earlier in the day there was a Common Redstart and two Whinchats at Blueberry Farm around the stables with two Whinchats and a Wheatear at Shrike Hedge in the Brampton Valley.

A Spotted Flycatcher was seen at Bearshank Wood and Harrington Airfield yielded two or three Common Redstarts, a Wheatear, three Whinchats and eight Grey Partridges.

Today (Tuesday) and a big change in the weather with light rain sweeping the county and a few heavy showers too.

The Bittern at Summer Leys has been showing well today and other birds include a Black-tailed Godwit, a Ruff and eight Ringed Plovers.

The Little Stint remains at Hollowell Reservoir today with the supporting cast of six Ringed Plovers, four Common Snipe, two Greenshanks and a Green Sandpiper and a Whinchat.

Stanford Reservoir's contribution included two Marsh Harriers still, the Ruddy Shelduck, two Common Sandpipers, a Water Rail and two Hobbies. Five Yellow-legged Gulls and a Common Sandpiper were off the dam at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon and evening.

A quick visit to Lamport Hall provided sixteen Spotted Flycatchers and a Common Redstart and the Blueberry Farm area was good for up to three Wheatears and two Whinchats. The 'Shrike Hedge' area of the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton initially supported two Whinchats and a Wheatear this morning and with the wet weather this afternoon there was a flock of about sixty Skylarks, two extra Wheatears and a Marsh Harrier.

Regards

Neil M

First year female Sparrowhawk
from the ringing session at
Harrington Airfield on Sunday
courtesy of Steve Wilson.

First year female Common Redstart
from Harrington Airfield on Sunday
courtesy of Steve Wilson.

Bittern at Summer Leys LNR
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Bittern at Summer Leys LNR
courtesy of Neil Hasdell.