Pitsford WeBS count

Hello

It was the last Pitsford Reservoir WeBS count of the season today and a slog around in the wet and mud was nevertheless very enjoyable even if it was rather quiet. Very little of interest between the causeway and the dam with the best being eight singing Chiffchaffs, four Redpolls and thirty Siskins. Things fared a little better north of the causeway with a pair of Raven at a new nest, up to ten Siskins, fifteen singing Chiffchaffs, two Yellow-legged Gulls (fourth and second calendar years), a 'redhead' Smew rather briefly in the Scaldwell Bay, two Jack Snipe, approximately ninety Common Snipe and three Kingfishers. Marsh Tits were on territory at three different areas on the reserve and Rooks, Grey Herons and Cormorants were nesting in reasonable numbers.

The fourteen Waxwings were again at Far Cotton, Northampton next to the In 'n' Out Express MOT garage off the Towcester Road first thing but couldn't be found later in the day. It could be that they have simply moved further along the river in search of appropriate food. A Peregrine was active overhead.

Two or three Wheatears were in fields between Clipston and Great Oxendon this morning but didn't appear to linger and six Little Egrets and a Shelduck were the best on offer at Stanford Reservoir. A Raven was at Walgrave village, a dozen Siskins were at Scotland Wood on the Kelmarsh Estate and a Cattle Egret was a good local record at Clifford Hill Pits.

Garden feeders continue to attract migrant finches with five Siskins in a Brixworth garden, two Siskins and a Brambling at Moulton and a garden in Weston Favell, Northampton attracting three Blackcaps, seven Siskins and a Lesser Redpoll. Some garden bird ringing near Overstone today resulted in nine Siskins and six Goldfinches being newly ringed. A Lesser Redpoll remains at Summer Leys LNR feeding station and a Redpoll was noted at Everdon Stubbs this morning.

Up to three Peregrines at St Mary's church, Higham Ferrers made it a busy affair and it seems that the pair in residence are seemingly new birds with last year's surviving female currently absent. A Raven was at Little Harrowden and three were over Sywell and the regular all white Magpie was still at Ashton Treatment Works today.

Two White Storks flew north at Cosgrove at lunchtime and appeared to be moving along the Tove Valley but with no further reports. An Osprey was seen flying north over Bozenham Mill towards Hanslope a little later. Two Sand Martins were at Quarry Lake, Priors Hall, Corby, a Curlew flew north-east over Stanwick Pits this morning and a Water Rail remained at Spring Marsh in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth.

Regards

Neil M

Peregrine courtesy 
of Tony Stanford.

Black-headed Gull.

Redshank courtesy
of Robin Gossage.