Pitsford WeBS count

Hello

The Pitsford Reservoir WeBS count today was a rather cold affair but at least it was dry! The long-staying juvenile Great Northern Diver was still in the Narrows south of the causeway but this area of the reservoir remains very quiet for birds as it has been all winter. 

On arrival at the reservoir an Osprey was north of the causeway and attracting attention from gulls and corvids and eventually drifted out of the back of the Scaldwell Bay. Interestingly the famous female Osprey (Maya) from Rutland Water arrived at her nest in Manton Bay for the first time this year at 9.50am, seventy-five minutes later after the bird at Pitsford disappeared. However one of the birds of a more locally breeding pair was found at it's nest this afternoon so the identity of the Pitsford bird will remain a mystery!

Other birds north of the causeway included about seventy Common Snipe, an adult Yellow-legged Gull, six Great White Egrets, a Kingfisher and a few Siskins. Three sizeable flocks of Redwings were sub-singing in the plantations and there were at least twenty-two active Cormorant nests and ten active Grey Heron nests.

Fifty Yellowhammers were at Harrington Airfield this afternoon and a female Sparrowhawk tried to take a Jackdaw in our garden this afternoon but thought better of it after the Jackdaw flock plus a couple of angry Carrion Crows swirled around over the scene and the Jackdaw was released. Probably the same Sparrowhawk is responsible for taking out three Blackbirds in our garden during the last two weeks but she tried something bigger today!

The Slavonian Grebe was still at Eyebrook Reservoir today and Stanford Reservoir attracted a Great White Egret, two Oystercatchers, two Goosanders and two Kingfishers.

Mark's regular visits to Ravensthorpe and Hollowell Reservoirs paid off today with an unprecedented visit of four adult Caspian Gulls to Ravensthorpe Reservoir (possibly two pairs) and the two White-fronted Geese were still present as was a Brambling. Mark's subsequent visit to Hollowell Reservoir yielded a Bittern which flew to the back of the Guilsborough Bay plus a Jack Snipe.

Two Oystercatchers were at the Whiston Wetlands area plus two Green Sandpipers, a Redshank and a Shelduck.

The drake Smew and a Cattle Egret were at Clifford Hill Pits and a Scaup was noted at Summer Leys LNR and a Ruff and two Little Ringed Plovers were there this evening. Three adult White-fronted Geese were on the Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston Pits and the potential hybrid Ring-necked Duck x Tufted Duck was also seen. A Marsh Harrier was at Stanwick Pits today.

It seems that the White-tailed Eagle that was in the county last week ended up in West Sussex.

Regards

Neil M

Osprey.

Little Ringed Plover.

Wren.

Images courtesy of
Robin Gossage.