Wednesday 26 February 2014

Island Pit: 2 redhead Smew.

Heronry North Pit: 3 Goosander (2 drakes).

Sunday 23 February 2014

Northern Pits: GREAT NORTHERN DIVER still, female Marsh Harrier, adult Yellow-legged Gull, c150 Black-tailed Godwits, 5 Oystercatchers, Ringed Plover, 2 Green Sandpipers, 2 Little Egrets, Kingfisher, Shelduck and Pintail. An Otter also showed briefly at close range on Pumphouse Pit. No sign of the Long-tailed Duck today.

Saturday 22 February 2014

Northern Pits: female LONG-TAILED DUCK on Diddington Pit, viewable from public footpath at SW end of pit. Also GREAT NORTHERN DIVER still on New Workings, RAVEN over, Jack Snipe, 39 Black-tailed Godwits, 4 Dunlin, Green Sandpiper, 8 Pintail and Little Egret.

A1 Pits: adult female Scaup still; male and female Brambling with c.50 Chaffinches in field north of Southoe brook.

Heronry North Pit: 2 Goosander.
















Long-tailed Duck record shot, Diddington Pit.

Sunday 16 February 2014

WeBS count highlights...

Northern Pits: juvenile GREAT NORTHERN DIVER still favouring New Workings and Diddington Pit; c.1200 Black-tailed Godwits still present, the first Ringed Plover of the year, c.150 Golden Plovers, c.800 Lapwing, 21+ Dunlin (37 counted on Saturday), 1-2 Green Sandpipers, 8 Pintail (5 drakes), Little Egret, Red Kite, 6 Buzzards, female Sparrowhawk with a fresh kill and a single male Siskin. 3 Brown Hares were busy chasing one another around.

Heron Trail: 3 redhead Goosander & 150 Tufted Ducks on Heronry North, plus a Grey Wagtail over.

A1 North Pit: female Scaup still present (briefly detouring to Heronry North Pit in the morning).

Friday 14 February 2014

Heronry North: 3 Smew (1 adult drake), per RBA.

Monday 10 February 2014

Northern Pits: GREAT NORTHERN DIVER flew around area at 11:05, then headed off towards Grafham Water. Still at least 1200 Black-tailed Godwits, plus 10 Dunlin, Green Sandpiper, 2 Little Egrets, 4 Lesser Redpolls and 2+ Siskins.

Heronry South: NUTHATCH again reported by post 17.

Sunday 9 February 2014

Weekend bits....

The weekend’s highlights included: the drake Smew still on Heronry South (though often elusive and hidden behind the Cormorant colony islands), 18 Pintail, 2 Egyptian Geese, Red Kite, an impressive c.1300 Black-tailed Godwits, 7 Ruff, Oystercatcher and a single Golden Plover.

Tuesday 4 February 2014

Heronry South: news today of a NUTHATCH, photographed at the Hayden Hide this afternoon. A bird that remains a bit a rarity at Paxton, although sightings have become a little more regular over the past few years.

Northern Pits: GREAT NORTHERN DIVER still, Red Kite over, 27 Pintail and Oystercatcher still.

Monday 3 February 2014

A1 North Pit: female Scaup still and 3 Corn Buntings in fields opposite.

Heronry South: drake Smew.

Meadow Trail: 2 Chiffchaffs.

Northern Pits: GREAT NORTHERN DIVER still, 25+ Pintail, 2 Shelduck, 2 Little Egrets, 3 Buzzards.


Sunday 2 February 2014

Northern Pits: 2 Shelduck, 5 Pintail (3 drakes), Little Egret, 4 Buzzards, Dunlin, 156 Black-tailed Godwits (including 3 colour ringed birds), c.400 Lapwing.

Meadow Trail: Cetti's Warbler singing briefly in area near top of the new ramp; also displaying Sparrowhawk, plus Coal Tit and Chiffchaff both singing.

Heronry North: 7+ Goosander (3+ drakes).

Saturday 1 February 2014

Northern Pits: juvenile GREAT NORTHERN DIVER again this morning on New Workings, Golden Plover in flight with distant Lapwing flock, 2 Little Egrets, 3 Pintail (2 drakes), 3 Ruff over, drake Smew (although very mobile).