Some excellent northbound passage today, mostly during the first part of the morning. Highlights include: probable Marsh Harrier heading north (distant), 2 Hobbies, 2 Avocets, 6+ Grey Plovers, 8 Knot, 3 Sanderling, 30+ Bar-tailed Godwits, 7+ Whimbrel, 20+ Greenshank, up to 8 Green Sandpipers, up to 5 Wood Sandpipers, Common Sandpiper and 10 Little Gulls. At least one Grasshopper Warbler still singing along east side of Island Pit.

Island Pit: Cetti's Warbler, 3 Grasshopper Warblers.

Heronry South: 2 drake Red-crested Pochards, drake Pochard, Marsh Tit.

Great Meadow: male Whinchat still.

Great Meadow: male Whinchat around scrubby area at NW end of meadow.

Heronry Pits: 2 Egyptian Geese over, drake Red-crested Pochard, several House Martins, Kingfisher.

Island Pit: Cetti's Warbler, 2 Grasshopper Warblers.

























       Male Whinchat at the Great Meadow, Paxton Pits.

Sightings today include: 4 Goldeneye (2 drakes), Red Kite, 2 Hobbies, 2 Dunlin, 2 Greenshank, 2 Wood Sandpipers (briefly at 07:55), Swift and singing Grasshopper Warbler.

         Wood Sandpiper, Paxton Pits.

Boughton Lodge Farm: Turtle Dove singing.

 

Island Pit: Red Kite, Hobby.

Washout Pit: pair Sparrowhawks displaying.

Little Paxton village: SANDWICH TERN over north at 11:30; single Swift noted.

Island Pit: 3 Grasshopper Warblers.

Little Paxton village: 5 House Martins. Also female Emperor Moth caught in a Little Paxton garden early afternoon.

Female Emperor Moth, Little Paxton (ok, so it's not a bird, but this moth was too smart to miss off today's news!).

Heron Trail: At least 8 singing Nightingales; 11 Swallows over education centre.

Island Pit: Cetti's Warbler and Grasshopper Warbler still.

Nightingale singing by Wray House Garden, Paxton Pits © Martin Davis.

Diddington & Pumphouse Pits: 2 Little Egrets, 9 Little Ringed Plovers, 3+ Ringed Plovers, 4+ Redshank, Green Sandpiper over, heading north, adult Yellow-legged Gull, 2+ Yellow Wagtails, 2 Wheatears, Cetti's Warbler, 2-3 Grasshopper Warblers.

Meadow Trail: Grasshopper Warbler singing and showing well.

Wheatears at Diddington Pit, Paxton Pits.

A1 North Pit: male and female Wheatear.

Heronry Pits: drake Red-crested Pochard still, possible Brambling seen in Wray House Garden briefly, Garden Warbler.

Island Pit: 2-3 Grasshopper Warblers and Cetti's Warbler singing still.

Moorings: Lesser Whitethroat singing.

Northern Pits: Avocet, Dunlin, male and female Wheatear, several Yellow Wagtails, Lesser Whitethroat.

Rudd Pit: Four Cetti's Warblers.

Sailing Lake: Cetti's Warbler.

Washout Pit: male GOSHAWK again (flew north mid morning).

Grasshopper Warbler singing at Island Pit © Martin Davis.

Sailing Lake: TREE PIPIT over NW at 07:08.

Island Pit: 2 Grasshopper Warblers, Garden Warbler.

Northern Pits: pair Wigeon, 3 Avocets, Red Kite, Cuckoo, Nuthatch (heard calling briefly in wood south of Diddington Pit mid morning), Cett's Warbler.

Washout Pit: Reed Warbler singing.

Island Pit: Cetti's Warbler and Grasshopper Warbler still.

Northern Pits: Little Egret, 4 Shelduck, 2 Buzzards, 5 Avocets, 7 Little Ringed Plovers, Grey Plover over east, 4 Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit, adult Yellow-legged Gull still, 15 Common Terns, male Wheatear.

Northern Pits: adult Yellow-legged Gull, Common Sandpiper, 2 male Wheatears, 4 Yellow Wagtails, Cetti's Warbler.

Island Pit: Grasshopper Warbler singing from fallen willow in NE corner of pit.

Northern Pits: immature male Peregrine, 4 Dunlin.

Immature Peregrine, Paxton Pits © Martin Davis.

A1 North Pit: Yellow Wagtail over, c.70 Linnets.

Northern Pits: 6 Shelduck, 7 Oystercatchers, 2 Avocets, 5 Little Ringed Plovers, 7 Ringed Plovers, Curlew, adult Yellow-legged Gull.

Sailing Lake: Cetti's Warbler singing in NW corner of lake.

Northern Pits: Little Egret, 5 Little Ringed Plovers, summer plumage Golden Plover, Greenshank, adult Yellow-legged Gull, 14 Common Terns, Yellow Wagtail.

Heron Trail: male Red-crested Pochard still, 4 singing Nightingales, Whitethroat between Kingfisher Hide and the moorings. Good number of Willow Warblers.

Washout Pit: FIRECREST on east side of pit from c.08:30-09:00 at least, in hawthorns at north end of the path/track. Also Nightingale singing and a Whitethroat singing on opposite side of river briefly.

Island Pit: Short-eared Owl hunting over fields on east side of pit between 19:00-19:35; Cuckoo, 3 Grasshopper Warblers singing & Cetti's Warbler still.

Northern Pits: male GOSHAWK again between 11:00-12:10, occasionally in the company of Buzzards and also mobbed by a male Sparrowhawk and numerous corvids. Also around the top end were 4 Red Kites (all in air together at once), 11+ Buzzards, 3+ Sparrohawks, 2 Avocets, 7 Little Ringed Plovers, 7 Dunlin, Snipe, 2 Little Egrets, Cuckoo, Nightingale and 6 Yellow Wagtails.

Little Paxton village: 2 House Martins again over west end of village.

Short-eared Owl, Island Pit © Jamie Wells.

Heronry Pits: Drake Red-crested Pochard, 3 Nightingales singing, Garden Warbler singing between the two hides.

Island Pit: 4 Little Gulls (2 adults, 2cy and 3rd cy) feeding over south end of pit mid morning; c.300 Sand Martin's early evening, Cetti's Warbler still, Grasshopper Warbler reeling on east side of pit.

Meadow trail: Red Kite over, Kingfisher at Rudd Pit.

Diddington & Pumphouse Pits: 2 Red Kites, 6 Avocets, 6 summer plumaged Dunlin, 8 Black-tailed Godwits over, Green Sandpiper, Barn Owl, 2 Swallows, Nightingale.

Little Paxton village: First 2 House Martins over west end of village.

Heronry South: male Redstart in hedgerow beyond the education centre. Also Garden Warbler.

Northern Pits: several Sedge Warblers singing; Orange-tip butterflies.

Northern Pits: Red Kite, 9 Buzzards, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 6 Ringed Plovers, 5 Oystercatchers, 2 Avocets, 10 Redshanks, adult Yellow-legged Gull, 9 Common Terns, Cetti's Warbler.

Heron Trail: Nightingale singing in Rory's Wood.

Little Paxton village: The first Grasshopper Warbler of the year singing nr Enterprise House.

Birds of note around Paxton today include:

2 Little Egrets, drake Red-crested Pochard, pair Goosander, 8 Common Terns, 100+ Sand Martins, 20 Swallows, White Wagtail, male Wheatear and 2 Cetti's Warblers.

Highlights: drake Red-crested Pochard, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 10 Ringed Plovers, 4 Common Terns, 65 Sand Martins, 2 Swallows, Rock Pipit, White Wagtail, male Wheatear, 37 WAXWINGS (in Willow trees at Heronry South), Cetti's Warbler and 3 Willow Warblers. Good numbers of singing Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs.

Belated news of up to 50 WAXWINGS occasionally seen in gardens/trees along Parkside/Ramply Close for past two days.

Heronry Pits: the first Nightingale of the year singing briefly near Kingfisher hide.

Diddington Pit: Buzzard, immature female Peregrine, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 5 Ringed Plovers, Knot, 5 Oystercatchers.

Northern Pits: 11 Buzzards, Red Kite, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 9 Common Terns, male and female Wheatear, Yellow Wagtail, 3 Willow Warblers.

Island Pit: Sedge Warbler and Cetti's Warbler singing.

Undoubted highlight of the day was an adult male GOSHAWK seen at 10:00 over the field west of the quarry workings at the north end of pit complex. However, it soon departed low west, mobbed by a gang of corvids and was not see subsequently. Other raptors seen included 2 Red Kites. Our first 3 Wheatears (all females), first Sedge Warbler and first Yellow Wagtail of the year were seen this morning. Also of note today, the 1st winter Little Gull is still present at Pumphouse Pit, whilst 2 Dunlin were on nearby Diddington Pit. At least 5 singing Blackcaps were seen or heard, as well as 4 singing Willow Warblers and a singing Cetti's Warbler. A single Swallow was over Diddington village, just west of Diddington Pit and plenty of Sand Martins were moving through in small groups all day. 4+ Common Terns were around the Heronry Pits.

Little Paxton village: 22 WAXWINGS by the river bridge nr the new housing development.

Northern Pits: 4+ Little Ringed Plovers, Knot, 1st winter Little Gull again, 21 Sand Martins, Swallow.

Island Pit: Cetti's Warbler.