Local weekend delights!

Hello

Birds visible from the dam at Pitsford Reservoir this morning included the Great Northern Diver, three Yellow-legged Gulls (adult, second calendar year and third calendar year), a Curlew, a Raven, two Sand Martins and two Egyptian Geese flew in as I was leaving. The diver was acting aggressively towards a small group of Great Crested Grebes, behaviour I haven't witnessed before.

North of the causeway was a Curlew (possibly the same one), two Redshanks, two Sand Martins and a Great White Egret.

A Wheatear and two Green Sandpipers were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning and Harrington Airfield also hosted a Wheatear plus about eighty Golden Plovers and six Grey Partridges.

A Raven nest was confirmed on the Kelmarsh Estate and two Kingfishers were chasing each other at Fishponds Road, Little Billing today.

The bird list from Stanford Reservoir included two Great White Egrets, two Goosanders, a Water Rail, two Common Snipe, two Oystercatchers, two Sand Martins, two Lesser Redpolls and a White Wagtail.

In the Nene Valley a Marsh Harrier left it's roost at Stanwick Pits at 6am and at Earls Barton Pits the drake Scaup was still on Mary's Lake and the Glossy Ibis was on the Summer Leys reserve this afternoon. In the New Workings/Whiston area quality birds were still two Avocets, six Little Gulls, several White-fronted Geese, a Pink-footed Goose and a Barn Owl. 

The Slavonian Grebe was still at Eyebrook Reservoir and the Richard's Pipit was still near Newport Pagnell.

Regards

Neil M

Barn Owl courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Common Snipe courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

The curious antics of Oystercatchers
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Male Bullfinch courtesy
of Robin Gossage.