Pitsford Reservoir

Hello,

This morning was spent at Pitsford Reservoir and a large number of Fieldfares were still preening the last remaining Hawthorn berries of the bushes, with them included small numbers of Redwings, Blackbirds and Song Thrush. Siskins and Redpolls were feeding on the feeders along the Old Scaldwell Road and some went over as well. A House Sparrow was also their which is a very good record for the site.

Half way inbetween Maytrees hide and the Bird Club hide I flushed up a Stonechat along the fence and a Green Sandpiper was also flushed along the puddled track.

Along the waters edge hundreds of Lapwings lined it including another good record for the site, twenty six Golden Plover and three Shelduck were bottom up in the middle of the Reservoir.

Regards,

Jacob

Recent Ringing

Hello,

Ringing sessions took place on Sunday and Today. Yesterday three ringing sessions took place at Kelmarsh Hall, Linford Lakes and Pitsford Feeding Station. Today a longer ringing session at Pitsford At Kelmarsh we caught one hundred and nine birds of fourteen species. These are fifty one Blue Tit, eighteen Great Tits including a control, six Coal Tits, one Treecreeper, three Wren, four Robin, eight Dunnock, three Great Spotted Woodpecker, two Nuthatch, four Blackbird, one Fieldfare, one Goldfinch, two Chaffinch and five Bullfinch including a one which was still growing its male feathers and was still brown on the breast. Two Brambling, a few Redpoll sp and around twenty Siskin were on-site. 

The ringing session at Linford Lake provided a capture of one hundred and thrirteen birds which were of sixteen species of which fourty one were new. Birds caught were three Redwing, five Goldcrest, fifteen Siskin, fourty one Blue Tit, five Song Thrush, twenty one Great Tit, one Treecreeper, one Chiffchaff, five Robin, two Long Tailed Tit, seven Dunnock, two Wren, one Reed Bunting, two Chaffinch, control Lesser Redpoll (ringed elsewhere) and a Blackbird.

The ringing sessions at Pitsford caught seventy three captures of seventeen species. These are fourteen Dunnocks, nine Tree Sparrows, eight Yellowhammer, seven Blue Tit, six Chaffinch, six Starling, five Reed Bunting, three Song Thrush, three Common Snipe, two Wren, two Great Tit, two Redwing, two Great Spotted Woodpecker, one Goldcrest, one Pied Wagtail, one Robin and a excellent record for the site House Sparrow. Birds on site included three Great White Egrets and a Redshank.

Regards,

Jacob

Thrushes Migration

Hello,

At first light I was down at Pitsford Reservoir and the first thing I noticed was a Redshank feeding next to the causeway while calling and then I realised how ladened the bushes were with berries espicailly the sloes. Then the bushes started to move with hundreds of Redwings and Fieldfare which I guess had just arrived as they were not bothered by people or a lovely fox. However the light was incredibly poor for pictures. Other birds I noticed on-site included two Great White Egret, a Stonechat and a young female Peregrine which attempted a hunt on Lapwings but then disturbed by the local Rookeries.

Recently this evening I took the dog for a walk around Scaldwell and many hundreds of Thrushes were going over still and a few are going over at night in small numbers. Birds which have been coming to our garden feeders are two Nuthatches, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and two Marsh Tits.

Regards,

Jacob

Scaldwell Ringing

Hello,

Today a Ringing session took place in my garden, the first for a couple of years caught a Lesser Redpoll, three Goldcrest, two Dunnocks, a Chaffinch and rest being Blue Tits and Great Tits. However lots of birds were going over including large numbers of thrushes and finches including 10+ Redpoll, 20+Siskin, a Crossbill and Brambling.

Regards,

Jacob