Weekend fun!

Hello,

On Saturday I spent most of the day birding my patch which is Pitsford Reservoir solidly for hours on end. This provided me with a really good view of the migration which was occurring during the day as I don't usually see it as I am at school during the day. So birds going through were small numbers of Black-Headed Gulls, Swallows, Sand Martins, House Martins, Pied Wagtails and Meadow Pipits. However the most notable bird that dropped in with a couple of Black Headed Gulls was a 1st Winter Little Gull which proceeded to catch flies up and down the Scaldwell Bay. Other birds of-note included a Yellow-Legged Gull, Little Egret and a Common Whitethroat.

Yesterday a ringing session took place at Harrington Airfield with a capture of 126 birds of 17 species. The majority of the birds caught were Yellowhammers with 68 processed. Other birds were 17 Chaffinches, 2 Linnets, a Lesser Redpoll, 3 Reed Buntings, 2 Blackcaps, 2 Green Woodpeckers. Four Wheatears were caught out of the 6 there. Other birds on-site included 2 Ring Ouzels, 3 Redstarts, two Yellow Wagtails, a Raven and two Willow Tits.

Regards,

Jacob

One of two male Greenland Wheatears caught. This race can be told just by the bigger size.
Courtesy of Eleanor Morrison.

Goshawk

Hello,

This morning was spent at Pitsford Reservoir in the Scaldwell Bay with Eleanor Morrison, this amount of time was sufficent in finding a couple of Siskins, four Blackcap, four Willow Warbler, two Osytercatchers. The best two birds of the day was a male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker by the feeding station seen by David Arden and a immature Goshawk was flying infront of the Bird Club hide.

Over the last week I have added three new species to my patch birding: Goshawk, Nuthatch and Feral Pigeon.

Regards,

Jacob

Spring Migrants

Hello,

Today was spent trying to get an image of the very mobile Lesser Spotted Woodpecker which I found yesterday. It was very vocal today during the first part of the morning but as the day went on it continued to feed and become increasingly mobile. Even though it is very mobile it only sticks to one little copse called compound 16. Other birds at Pitsford today included 20 Siskins, two Oystercatchers, two Kingfisher, two singing Willow Warblers, a Raven, a Osprey, 10 Swallows and 60+ Sand Martins.

Regards,

Jacob

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Hello,

Today a ringing session took place down the Old Road Feeding Station at Pitsford Reservoir, not a large number of birds were caught but a enough to make the morning worth while. The totals came too 31 birds of which 21 were new. Yellowhammers were the most common species caught this morning with eight being trapped. Other birds caught were five Reed Bunting, four Mallard, three Long Tailed Tit, two Tree Sparrow, two Chaffinch and singles of Treecreeper, Lesser Redpoll, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Robin, Blue Tit and Dunnock. Birds on-site while the ringing took place was a Oystercatcher, a Curlew and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker calling up the Scaldwell Arm.

Once I had returned home and watched the regular garden visitors of Siskin, Nuthatch and Marsh Tit; news came through of a male Gargeney which was sitting on some floodwater opposite the 'Windhover Pub' down the Brampton Valley. It was still there by the time we arrived and we got great views of this smart duck as it was feeding on the edge of the water. A Green Sandpiper was also present.

Regards,

Jacob