Island Pit: 3 Smew (1 drk), drk Red-crested Pochard, 2 Swallows (our 1st of the year).

Diddington Pit & north end: Little Egret, 7+ Buzzards, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, Ringed Plover, 2 Oystercatchers, 13 Redshanks, c.10 Sand Martins, male White Wagtail with small group of Pied Wags.

Boughton Lodge Farm: 5+ Redwing, 10+ Fieldfare

Washout Pit: Water Rail.

Heronry North: Otter seen briefly

Little Paxton village: 3 Buzzards to west of village

Sailing Lake: 179 Black-headed Gulls, 3 Redshank, 2 Oystercatchers.

Heronry Pits: House Martin (1st of the year at Paxton), 29 Sand Martins, Blackcap.

North end: female Goosander, 2 Pintail (1 drk), Buzzard, Jack Snipe, 18+ Snipe, Dunlin, Green Sandpiper, 11+ Redshank, 4 Oystercatchers, 2-3 Ringed Plovers, c.40 Fieldfare flew west

Heronry North: drake Smew

Heronry North: male Blackcap in Wray House Garden

North End: 4 Buzzards

Heronry South: 11 Sand Martins

Island Pit: redhead Smew

North end: drake Pintail, Buzzard, 2 Curlew, 6 Redshank, 2 Oystercatchers, 3 Ringed Plovers

Heronry South: redhead Smew

Sailing Lake: 5 Redshanks, 2 Oystercatchers; Greylag Goose and Mallard on nests

North end: Water Pipit seen for 10 minutes late morning; also Little Egret, 4 Buzzards, Sparrowhawk, redhead Goosander, drake Pintail, 2 Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plovers, 4 Oystercatchers, 4 Redshanks & Snipe.

Double figure numbers of Chiffchaffs and 5+ Treecreepers singing around the reserve.

North end: Little Egret, 2-3 Shelduck, drake Pintail, redhead Goosander, 3 Ringed Plovers, 4 Redshanks, 2 Snipe, single Sand Martin (flew WNW) + pair of Great-crested Grebes displaying.

Diddington Pit: 3+ Buzzards, Redshank, 4 Oystercatchers

Island Pit: 4 Smew still (inc. 1 drake)

North end: 6 Shelduck, drake Pintail, Curlew, 3 Ringed Plover, 6 Redshank, Meadow Pipit displaying

Little Paxton village: 2 Bramblings this morning, visiting a garden to feed on seed.

Sailing Lake: Red Kite over

Fairly quiet this morning, other than 6 Buzzards, a drake Pintail still, 3 Redshank and a Ringed Plover.

Cloudy Pit: 2 Chiffchaffs singing, 4 Goldcrests.

Heronry South: Male Brambling still, around feeding station at Hayden Hide

Island Pit: 4 Smew, incl. 1 drk

Diddington Pit: Buzzard, 2 Redshank, Oystercatcher

North end: Little Egret, drk Pintail, 4 Redshank, Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher

Cloudy Pit: Buzzard over, FIRECREST still, 2 Chiffchaffs

Heronry South: drake and redhead Smew, male Brambling at Hayden Hide feeding station (+ 2 Bat sp.)

North end: 2 Little Ringed Plovers (1st of the year)

Diddington Pit: Red Kite, 4+ Sand Martins

North end: 2 Dunlin, 4 Oystercatchers, 3 Ringed Plover, 3 Redshank

Cloudy Pit: 2 FIRECRESTS (both males) still

Great Meadow: Little Egret

Hayling Pit: Kingfisher

Sailing Lake: Sand Martin over lake

Heronry North: Kingfisher

Washout Pit: Little Egret, Water Rail, 2 Redshank, Kingfisher

Boughton Lodge Farm: Bar-headed Goose, 44 Fieldfare, 87 Redwing

North end: 2 Oystercatchers, 8 Redshank, 4 Ringed Plover, 42 Redwing flew north

Cloudy Pit: FIRECREST in usual area at south end of pit still.

Northern Pits: Buzzard, 2 Oystercatchers, 5 Ringed Plover, Snipe, 6 Redshank, Green Sandpiper, 3cy Yellow-legged Gull & 2 Barn Owls.

Cloudy Pit: FIRECREST at south end of Pit still, also Chiffchaff

Hayling Pit: 12 Dunlin circled over lake before flying south towards river; Blackcap singing

Heronry South: Drake Smew

Cloudy Pit: 1 FIRECREST still, in area around beach opposite new bench at 12:30.

3 Avocets this morning and a Water Pipit flushed mid afternoon were easily the best sightings of the day. The Avocets had also been seen in the sludge lagoons at nearby Grafham Water yesterday and early on this morning.

Other birds of note around the Pits today: drake and redhead Goosander, Buzzard, 3 Oystercatchers, 3 Ringed Plover, 5 Dunlin, 5 Redshank & 2+ Yellow-legged Gulls.

Cloudy Pit: Still at least 1 FIRECREST around.

Haul Road: Buzzard over, Goldcrest singing, pair of Long-tailed Tits nest building & a Coal Tit singing briefly

Heronry South: 2 Barnacle Geese; Kingfisher

Island Pit: 4 Smew (1 drake) & 2 Red-crested Pochards (1 drake)

Moorings: Buzzard flew south, Linnet over.

Washout Pit: 2 Redshanks feeding on flooded field on opposite side of the river

Northern Pits: 2 Pintail (1 drake), adult Peregrine, 5+ Buzzards, 2 Oystercatchers, Ringed Plover, Curlew, 3 Redshanks

FIRECREST still at 11.00 this morning in usual area arount 'The Beach' at south end of Cloudy Pit; also Red Kite and 2 Bullfinches.

Heronry South: 115 occupied Cormorant nests; 10 occupied Grey Heron nests.

Cloudy Pit: 2 FIRECRESTS still at south end of pit around The Beach area.

Heronry South: 2 Smew (drake and redhead) still, viewable from the Hayden Hide.








Firecrest at Cloudy Pit
© Garth Peacock

Weedy Pit/ fisherman's car-park: Male stonechat and grey wagtail.
Heronry South: Pair of smew + redhead showing well, close to shore. Female Sparrowhawk caught and ate blackbird at hide. Pair of green sandpipers flying. Little egret. Great Crested Grebes dancing.
Cloudy Pit: Firecrest still present at The Beach.
Visitor Centre: Sand martin at mid day, exhausted on wires. Later one on Heronry South.
North end: 4 buzzards in the air at once, 5 ringed plovers, little egret, snipe, redshank, 2 oystercatcher, 11 meadow pipits, skylark etc.

Cloudy Pit: Still at least 1 Firecrest this morning, plus Treecreeper.

Heronry South: Drake & redhead Smew still from Hayden Hide.

Cloudy Pit: 2 Firecrests still early afternoon.

Highlights:
4 Smew around today, including a drake and redhead on Heronry South still, viewable from the Hayden Hide. Two Firecrests continue to frequent the area around the Beach at the south end of Cloudy Pit and a Chiffchaff was heard singing nearby. 3 Little Egrets, 4 Pintail (1 drake) and 2 Red-crested Pochards (1 drake) were also noted.

Other sightings: 12 Shelduck, 2 Water Rails, 4+ Oystercatchers, 6 Ringed Plover, 16 Golden Plover, Woodcock, 4 Redshank, Green Sandpiper, Grey Wagtail.


[There are some excellent shots of one of the Paxton Pits Firecrests in the photo section of the Cambridgeshire Bird Club website, see: http://cambsbirdclub.blogspot.com/ ]