Ringing at Pitsford Reservoir

Hello

Some ringing in the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Reservoir yielded some one hundred and sixty-five birds processed amounting to seventy-one Blue Tits, forty-five Great Tits, three Coal Tits, two Marsh Tits, seven Long-tailed Tits, six Wrens, a Dunnock, a Robin, a Treecreeper, sixteen Goldcrests, a Chiffchaff, two Redwings, two Blackbirds, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, two Chaffinches, three Bullfinches and almost the last bird of the session was a first year male Sparrowhawk.

Other birds present at Pitsford Reservoir today included the Great Northern Diver off the dam in the afternoon, a flying female-type Common Scoter north of the causeway early in the morning, two Woodcock north of the causeway, Ravens, several Redpolls and Siskins, a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull and a Grey Wagtail.

A Cattle Egret was reportedly in Rothwell this morning and two more flew south-west at Stanford Reservoir where there was also a first winter Mediterranean Gull, eighty-one Great Black-backed Gulls (at roost) and a Water Rail.

The female-type Common Scoter was still at Kinewell Lake at Ringstead Pits this afternoon and a Goosander was at Barnwell Country Park. There was a murmuration of Starlings at Summer Leys LNR late this afternoon and fifteen Golden Plovers were at Clifford Hill Pits this morning with a Barnacle Goose at Kislingbury Pits.

At Fineshade Wood today a Crossbill was present plus an impressive flock of ninety Lesser Redpolls, three Siskins and two Bramblings and nearby there were twenty-three Mandarin Ducks at Blatherwycke Lake, two Egyptian Geese and a Great White Egret.

Two Green Sandpipers were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this afternoon and birds at a small scrape area near Blueberry Farm attracted a Jack Snipe, six Common Snipe and a pair of Stonechats. The wet fields in the valley below Hanging Houghton attracted large numbers of Fieldfares and Starlings.

Regards

Neil M

Sparrowhawk at Pitsford
Reservoir today.

Barnacle Goose.

Fieldfare.

Robin.

Above four images
courtesy of Tony Stanford.