Ditchford WeBs count

Hello

Today was the wetland and waterbirds count at Ditchford Pits and we began with some distant scanning of the mitigation pit to the west of Ditchford Lane. This area attracted a Goosander, three Greenshanks and two Common Sandpipers. From where we were parked next to the private track two vocal Corn Buntings popped up and spent time in the large trees there (but were not seen later). Other birds viewable from here were ten Egyptian Geese which included three quarter grown goslings (on the Watersport Pit) and at least three Grey Partridges. Common Whitethroats were busy in the hedgerow and several Yellow Wagtails were in the stubble fields.

After this enjoyable start things became much quieter as we explored the older pits. West of Ditchford Lane and the best birds were a Hobby, an apparent White-fronted x Greylag hybrid (with 140 plus Greylags), a Water Rail, two Great White Egrets, two Common Sandpipers and three Cetti's Warblers.

East of Ditchford Lane and there was one Great White Egret, three Common Snipe, two Cetti's Warblers, three Grey Wagtails and several Willow Emerald Damselflies.

Birds noted at Summer Leys LNR included a Greenshank, two Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper and two Great White Egrets.

At Pitsford Reservoir today birds north of the causeway were an Osprey, a juvenile Marsh Harrier, a Wood Sandpiper, an excellent eleven Greenshanks, three Ruff, two Green Sandpipers, two Common Sandpipers and a Raven.

Naseby Reservoir did well with a Sanderling (not a common bird inland in the autumn), a Ringed Plover, three Greenshanks, a Green Sandpiper, seven Common Sandpipers and a Caspian Gull.

Stanford Reservoir hosted two Black Terns, a Ringed Plover, a Ruff, a Green Sandpiper, five Common Sandpipers, a Whinchat and a Cetti's Warbler. One hundred and eighty-five birds were newly ringed which included three Common Redstarts.

Two or three Ospreys were seen at Hollowell Reservoir today, five Ravens were over Moulton village and there were at least twenty Spotted Flycatchers and a female Common Redstart at Lamport Hall.

The young female Hen Harrier was seen several times today frequenting the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and wandering up to Blueberry Farm, Maidwell, with perhaps the more sustained views being this evening in breezy conditions. At least two Grey Wagtails were in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth.

Regards

Neil M

Drake Mallard.

Willow Emerald Damselfly.

Grey Heron.

Migrant Hawker.