Pitsford Patch Birding

Hello,

Today was spent birding around Pitsford Nature Reserve, the morning in the Holcot Bay which held a Kingfisher and four Siskins. The most interesting things flying around were the Butterflies which included a Small Speckled Wood and two Brimstones.

This evening in the Scaldwell Bay produced even more Siskins, a Lesser Redpoll, a House Martin, a Sand Martin and a fishing Osprey.

Regards,

Jacob

Summer Leys

Hello,

This morning was spent having a wander with Eleanor Morrison around Summer Leys Nature Reserve. This reserve is managed by the Wildlife Trust and the water levels were not perfect but pretty decent for waders compared with Pitsford, hence why there were quite a few Lapwings, six Oystercatchers, five Redshank and a Little Ringed Plover was reported.

Other birds on-site included a House Martin, six Sand Martin, eleven Cetti's Warbler, six Chiffchaff, a Scaup, two Grey Wagtails, two Kingfishers and five Siskin. Osprey and Peregrine were reported and two male Garganey were also reported on the adjacent lake across the road.

A brief visit to Pitsford Reservoir produced a Swallow and a Stonechat still.

Regards,

Jacob

Garden Birding

Hello,

Most of the day was spent watching the many birds I have coming to my garden at the moment, these included three Siskins, a absolute corker of a male Brambling, three Nuthatches, a Marsh Tit, Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Chiffchaff which was actually feeding on seed for the second day. A good bird for my garden came in the form Carrion Crow.

A brief visit to Christies Copse at Pitsford Reservoir this after produced a singing Chiffchaff and a Woodcock was seen in the morning by Neil McMahon.

Regards,

Jacob

Easter Holidays Day 3

Hello,

This morning saw me blundering around the south of Pitsford Causeway in search of Hirundines on the move, which they obviously were with sixty plus Sand Martin and four Swallows feeding low over the water from 'The Pines'. Other birds on-site included a Ruddy Shelduck still, a Green Sandpiper on pools below the dam, a Stonechat also next to the 'The Pines', a male Blackcap and five Chiffchaffs.

This afternoon was spent doing the feeders at the Old Road Feeding Station but the only birds of note was a Chiffchaff and three Sand Martins. Meanwhile nearby 200+ Golden Plovers were circling a field near Scaldwell.

Regards,

Jacob

Easter Holidays Day 1

Hello,

Today was the first day of my Easter holidays and I spent it down on my patch (Pitsford Reservoir). I spent the morning walking around the public side which provided views of two singing Chiffchaffs, a Lesser Redpoll, a couple of Siskins flying over, eight Golden Plover over and a Sand Martin.

This evening was spent watching the Gull Roost from the sailing club and no gulls of interested decided to land onto the water however the Ruddy Shelduck was in the vicinity and so was twenty-one Sand Martin with two Swallows.

The fields in-between Brixworth and Scaldwell hosted 250-300 Golden Plover, the biggest number I have ever seen there.

Regards,

Jacob

Pitsford Patch Birding

Hello,

This evening was spent at Pitsford Reservoir were I found my first two Sand Martins of the year along the dam, were they fed up for a couple of minutes before moving on, I then saw the Rock Pipit but only for a short while by the valve tower but I couldn't relocate it afterwards. I also saw the Ruddy Shelduck, two male Grey Wagtails, quite a lot of birds were feeding on the grass below the dam: Thrushes, Skylarks, Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails made up the most of them.

Regards,

Jacob

Weekend Day trips

Hello,

Over the weekend I spent both days on car trips the one on Sunday was with the Northamptonshire Bird Club to the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire and the one on Saturday visiting a couple of sites inside of Norfolk.

First of in Norfolk we visited Dersingham Bog which provided a life tick on the form of two singing Woodlark, this put me up to 225 Bird Species in the UK. Other birds on this site included a pair of Stonechat and plenty of Siskins with some flying over and others feeding on the coniferous trees around the bog.

Stonechat

Next site was Hunstanton to attempt to capture some shots of Fulmars which were breeding on the cliffs, they were very difficult to capture behind the bushes on the cliff top but I am pleased with just one image out of a hundred. Other birds were Brent Geese flying under us, confiding Turnstones and plenty of waders on the rocks below. 

Fulmar

Turnstone

We then visited the RSPB reserve Titchwell which was very good too. It provided views of more Siskins around the car park in quite close waters but just in the dull conditions hence no pictures but there was also two Brambling there two. We slowly walked up towards the coast which provided views of about 120 Common Scoter and a couple of Sanderlings, on the walk up to the coast it provided close quarter views of the Avocets which are now starting to pair up. We also saw a Water Pipit, three Marsh Harrier, common coastal Waders and Waterfowl. 

Grey Plover

Avocet

Teal

Little Egret

We then raced home when news came through that 11 Common Scoters were on my patch which is Pitsford Reservoir. We saw them while seeing a Dunlin and a adult Mediterranean Gull. 

Sunday began and we found ourselves in the Forest of Dean but before we were watching some Penduline Tits on a lay by pit, they seemed very vocal and ready to move on. In the Forest of Dean we espied on some Hawfinches which have taken up residence at Parkends Green, three displaying Goshawks at New Fancy view which was shut off till 10:30am due to a half marathon, some Mandarin Ducks at Cannop Ponds and Symonds Yat Rock provided plenty of Buzzards and Ravens while a Peregrine went off on a probable hunting trip. 

My second life tick of the weekend was a Great Grey Shrike which was watched eating Newts at Crab Tree Hill, while were there some Crossbills were whizzing around, a couple of Stonechats and a Goosander. 

Regards, 

Jacob

Hawfinch

Great Grey Shrike

Raven

Penduline Tit

Mandarin Duck

Glyn Davies Wood

Hello,

Today was spent at Glyn Davies Wood completing a ringing session catching exactly 140 birds, highlights including a adult Siskin, two Nuthatch, three Goldcrest, one Treecreeper, four Chaffinch, two Great Spotted Woodpecker and four Marsh Tit. Also a whopping 68 Blue Tits and 41 Great Tits were caught. Birds on-site included a singing Willow Tit, two Tawny Owls and two Siskins.

I then visited Ravensthorpe Reservoir which provided views of two singing Chiffchaffs.

This evening was spent at Pitsford which provided views of nothing rare but a patch year tick in the form of a Shoveler, now I am at 88 species and 96 points.

Regards,

Jacob

Red Kite