Sunday 31 January 2010

Pumphouse Pit: Little Egret, 4 Shelduck (2 pairs), 2 Pintail (pair), 11 Smew (3 drakes), Peregrine, Golden Plover over, 2 Redshank.

Diddington Pit: 2 Grey Partridge, 2 Dunlin, 2 Redshank, Green Sandpiper, 3 TWITE.

Island Pit: female Ruddy Duck.

A1 North Pit: Goldcrest.

Saturday 30 January 2010

Diddington Pit: 3 TWITE still mid morning; also 2+ Buzzards, Dunlin, Green Sandpiper and a partially albino Redwing. Nearby 2 Siskins in the wood south of Pit.

Hayling Lake: female (probably a 1st winter) Scaup still.

Farm Pit: 2 drake Red-crested Pochards.

Island Pit: female Ruddy Duck, Buzzard, Barn Owl, Siskin over

Pumphouse Pit: 12 Smew (4 drakes).

Heronry South: 4 Smew (1 drake).

Washout Pit: drake and redhead Goosander.

Friday 29 January 2010

Hayling Lake: female Scaup still today.

Heronry South: 5 Smew (1 drake), 2 Marsh Tits.

Island Pit: female Ruddy Duck.

Farm Pit: drake Red-crested Pochard

Diddington Pit: 2 Little Egrets, Barnacle Goose.

Pumphouse Pit: Little Egret, 11 Smew (3 drakes), male & immature female Peregrine together.

Thursday 28 January 2010

Pumphouse Pit: 14 Smew, ringtail Hen Harrier still around today also (last seen flying SE towards fields east of Island Pit mid afternoon).

Hayling Lake: female Scaup still present.

Heronry South: 6 Smew.














Female Scaup, Hayling Lake © Martin Davis. A 'phonescoped' image

Wednesday 27 January 2010

Hayling Lake: female Scaup.

Heronry South: 5 Smew (2 drakes)

Island Pit: Ringtail Hen Harrier flew up from track on east side of Pit and landed in nearby tree at 14:15; also pair of Red-crested Pochard.

Diddington Pit: Little Egret, Buzzard, male Peregrine

Pumphouse Pit: Little Egret, 2 (pair) Shelduck, 5 Red-crested Pochards (4 drakes), 3 Smew (1 drake), Peregrine (2nd bird), Dunlin.

A1 North Pit: drake Red-crested Pochard.

Sailing Lake: Kingfisher.

Tuesday 26 January 2010

Pumphouse Pit: 2 Little Egret, Shelduck, 5 Red-crested Pochard (4 drakes), 3 Smew (1 drake), 4 Dunlin, Redshank.

Diddington Pit: No sign of Twite around Diddington Pit today.

Monday 25 January 2010

Diddington Pit: 3 TWITE still present at 15:20 today, again around weedy areas in NW corner of pit. If visiting please remember to park carefully in Diddington or use public car park at north end of the village.














Twite at Diddington Pit, Paxton Pits

Sunday 24 January 2010

Diddington Pit: 3 TWITE late afternoon, feeding in weedy areas at NW end of the pit and occasionally flying to trees nearby to preen. Eventually flew west just before dusk (probably to roost); also 3+ Little Egrets, Shelduck, Redshank and 300 Lapwing.

Island Pit: 4 Red-crested Pochards (3 drakes).

Pumphouse Pit: 5 Smew (1 drake), Jack Snipe, 3 Grey Partridges.

Heronry North: 2 redhead Smew.

Friday 22 January 2010

Heronry South: 3 redhead Smew.

Island Pit: Drake Goosander.

Pumphouse Pit: 2 Yellow-legged Gulls.

Diddington Pit: 1+ Little Egret, Redshank.

A1 North Pit: 1 drake Red-crested Pochard.

Thursday 21 January 2010

Weedy Pit: Bittern mobbed by gulls and forced to the ground. Viewed from car park. Probably the same bird seen previous evening flying between the Sailing Lake and Weedy Pit.

Sailing Lake: Good numbers of waterfowl, including shovellers and one drake smew.

Heronry Pits: 3 redhead Smew from Hayden Hide, plus 2 Goosander (1 drake) from Kingfisher Hide.

Monday 18 January 2010

Heronry Lakes: 1 drake and three redhead Smew, Kingfisher, many Gadwall, Pochard, Tufted Duck etc, plus small numbers of Teal.

Visitors' Centre & Meadow: 50 Redwing and some Fieldfares on the ground + 60 Greylag Geese. Long-tailed Tits on feeders regularly. 5-6 Redpolls usually with the Linnet flock. Great Tits singing.

Weedy Pit (viewed from car park): 2 Mink on ice.

Sunday 17 January 2010

Northern Pits: Little Egret, adult Eurasian White-fronted Goose, Bar-headed Goose, Shelduck, 534 Wigeon, 3 redhead Smew, 3 Goosander (2 drakes) flew south, Red Kite drifted NE, adult Peregrine, 488 Coot, Snipe, 2 Redshank, Green Sandpiper.

A1 North Pit: 87 Mute Swans, 224 Tufted Duck, 5 Red-crested Pochards (3 drakes), drake Pintail, drake Goosander

Heronry North: 3 redhead Smew; White-fronted Goose (same bird from Northern Pits) in the afternoon.

Island Pit: Buzzard & Woodcock.

Washout Pit: 9 Woodcocks at dusk.

Wednesday 13 January 2010

Heronry North: Large hole opening up in ice with good variety of wildfowl, including drake and redhead Smew.

Rudd Pit: Water Rail calling.

Monday 11 January 2010

Island Pit: Bittern flew low north at dusk; Barn Owl hunting over field on east side of pit.

Washout Pit: Water Rail

Sunday 10 January 2010

Meadow: Fieldfare, Redwing, Song Thrush and Blackbird together.

Woodcock, three Goldcrests and a Water Rail (No locations specified).

Thursday 7 January 2010

Island Pit: 2 Woodcocks

Rudd Pit: female Blackcap + male Brambling

Washout Pit: Buzzard over.

Tuesday 5 January 2010

Meadow: Snipe near the boardwalk

Rudd Pit: Grey Wagtail flew east.

Sunday 3 January 2010

Rudd Pit: male and female Bearded Tit still present.

Meadow: Bittern flew south at 11:00; Water Rail and Green Sandpiper seen around pit complex today also.

Saturday 2 January 2010

Rudd Pit: at least 2 Bearded Tits (male and female) still

Sailing Lake: 3 Redpolls and 4 Siskins with c.25 Goldfinches.

Heronry North: 2 redhead Smew.

Heronry South: Marsh Tit at feeding station & 2 Redpolls in Silver Birch nearby.

Island Pit: Barn Owl and Woodcock flushed early afternoon.

Northern Pits: 4 redhead Smew, male Peregrine, Redshank, 2 Woodcocks.

Little Paxton village: Sadly, a dead Barn Owl on Great North Road, nr end of Park Avenue.

Friday 1 January 2010

Pumphouse Pit: redhead Smew.

Island Pit: Water Rail, Barn Owl.

Rudd Pit: 3 Bearded Tits still.

Moorings: Water Rail.