Northern Pits: drake Garganey in SE of Diddington Pit and 1w White-fronted Goose still (on Pumphouse Pit today). Also today 2 drake Red-crested Pochards, 2 drake Shoveler and 2 Little Egrets.

Drake Garganey, Diddington Pit.

Diddington Pit: 1w White-fronted Goose with Greylags on south bank of pit this evening. Also Common Sandpiper, 2 Ringed Plovers and Wheatear.

1w White-fronted Goose, Paxton Pits.

Heron Trail: Hobby flew from Heronry North Pit and headed low across fields heading towards the river at 8pm.

Northern Pits: 13+ Arctic Terns (10 straight through during the morning, with another 3 lingering for a few hours at least), 2 Black Terns (1 lingering all day), 2 Avocets over heading east, 3 Little Egrets and a single Swift.

South-easterlies bring in migrant waders and terns...

Northern Pits: 2 LITTLE TERNS very briefly on Pumphouse Pit early on, also 2 Black Terns and 3 Arctic Terns through. Waders passing through included 12 Whimbrel (in 3-4 small groups), 7 Bar-tailed Godwits and a Black-tailed Godwit, whilst 5 Dunlin, Little Ringed Plover and Common Sandpiper were present throughout the day. A male, then a female Marsh Harrier passed through during the morning and a male & female Wheatear were present in the evening.

Washout Pit: Grasshopper Warbler still singing in evening. 

Northern Pits: Little Ringed Plover still, plus Ringed Plover and 2+ Yellow Wagtails.

A1 North Pit: pair of Grey Partridges again, plus a female Wheatear.

Hayling Pit: Grasshopper Warbler singing in scrubby areas of field south of the pit.

Northern Pits: 9 Egyptian Geese in morning, also Little Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, 3 Dunlin, 2 White Wagtails & 5+ Yellow Wagtails.

Washout Pit: singing Grasshopper Warbler still.

Northern Pits: male Whinchat on SE side of Diddington Pit this afernoon. Also Red Kite, 3 Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plovers, 2 Cetti's Warblers seen fighting and 6 Yellow Wagtails.

Washout Pit: Grasshopper Warbler singing still, also Cetti's Warbler, 2+ Reed Warblers.

















Whinchat at Diddington Pit.

Meadow Trail: OSPREY flew low north at 16:33 and was then later seen (at 16:45) heading north along the river from Island Pit.

Northern Pits: Grey Plover and Curlew north during evening, also 2 Whimbrel still, 2 Turnstones briefly in am, Black-tailed Godwit, Ruff, Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Dunlin, 2 Wheatears, 2 Garden Warblers and 2 Reed Warblers.

Washout Pit: Grasshopper Warbler 'reeling' early morning.

A1 North Pit: pair of Grey Partridges.

The Osprey seen over Paxton Pits this afternoon. © John Walsh

Northern Pits: Groups of 5, 6, 3 and a single Arctic Tern noted passing through today. 5 Bar-tailed Godwits this evening, plus 2 Whimbrel, Ruff, Dunlin, Snipe, Common Sandpiper, 2 Ringed Plover and a singing Grasshopper Warbler.

Northern Pits: 15 Arctic Terns on Pumphouse Pit this morning. Also Ruff still.

Meadow Trail: Cuckoo singing.

Northern Pits: 3 Red Kites, Ruff, Snipe, male and female Wheatear, White Wagtail.

Northern Pits: Whimbrel on Pumphouse Pit bund this morning (the bund is viewable from the public footpath north of Diddington village), plus 2cy Little Gull; also Sandwich Tern reported over Diddington Pit. Also this morning Common Sandpiper, Dunlin, female Wheatear, 1+ Yellow Wagtails, 2 Whitethroats, Lesser Whitethroat and Cetti's Warbler.

Northern Pits: 7 Little Gulls (5 adults and two 2cy birds) on Pumphouse Pit early afternoon; also Dunlin, Green Sandpiper, Ringed Plover, 2 Snipe, pair of Grey Partridges and 2 male Wheatears.

Washout Pit: Cuckoo on opposite side of the river to pit.

Island Pit: possible female Ring Ouzel flew towards north end of pit mid-morning, but could not be relocated. Also along the north edge of the pit a singing Grasshopper Warbler this morning. Nearby several Yellow Wagtails, 2 Cetti's Warblers and a drake Shelduck.

Weedy Pit: Turtle Dove reported today.

The first couple of singing Common Whitethroats on site today with one along the eastern side of Island Pit and another heard from the public footpath running south from the south-eastern corner of Diddington village. 4 Nightingales heard singing around the Heron Trail, with at least one bird showing well in the Wray House Garden. 2 House Martins were over Heronry North Pit. Also of note today around the northern end of the pits were a single Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Dunlin, 17+ Common Terns, Red Kite, 3 Swallows and a single White Wagtail. At least 7 Sedge Warblers singing around the complex today.

Weekend round-up

At least 5 Nightingales are now present on the reserve, with 2-3 singing around the Wray House Garden, 1 singing along the Meadow Trail and another singing on the west side of Sailing Lake. 2+ singing Lesser Whitethroats were noted and several Sedge Warblers are now singing around the site, whilst Willow Warblers and Blackcaps are now on the reserve in good numbers. Cetti's Warblers can regularly be heard singing around the Meadow Trail, Island Pit and at Washout Pit. Common Terns are in with some noisy aerial pursuits already taking place over the reserve. 13 Yellow Wagtails and a single female White Wagtail were noted at the north end of the complex on Saturday evening. A Hobby was reported on Sunday, whilst 2 Red Kites were seen circling together to the west of Diddington Pit.

The sunshine on Sunday meant that butterflies were out in good numbers, with Green-veined White, Speckled Wood, Orange-tip, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and Brimstone all being seen.

First two House Martins back over Little Paxton village on Sunday.

Heron Trail: No sign of male Pied Flycatcher at Wray House Garden early morning, but two Nightingales singing in the vicinity. Lesser Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler singing nearby to main quarry workings area.

Meadow Trail: 5 Common Terns squabbling over a caught fish above the Meadow this morning; REDSTART reported in Willow tree near the boardwalk.

Arable Fields: RING OUZEL seen along track at southern end of the 'arable fields' at 14:45.

Heron Trail: male PIED FLYCATCHER in the Wray House Garden, just before Kingfisher Hide this evening from c.18:30 - 19:20.

Northern Pits: first noteable arrival of Sand Martins today with c.150 feeding over Island Pit/Pumphouse Pit throughout the afternoon. Also 3 Swallows, male Wheatear, 2 White Wagtail, 2 Ringed Plover and pair of Egyptian Geese.

Male Pied Flycatcher at Wray House Garden, Heron Trail. Photo's © Stuart Elsom.

Boughton Lodge Farm: male Brambling in the small wood at north end of the farm this morning and singing Lesser Whitethroat along footpath NW of farm.

Island Pit: Single Sedge and Cetti's Warblers still singing.

Northern Pits: 3 Red Kites, 14 Buzzards, 3 Sparrowhawks, Dunlin, Common Tern, 3 Sand Martins, Swallow, 4 White Wagtails, 3 Yellow Wagtails.

Male Yellow Wagtail, Paxton Pits.

Northern Pits: 2 SANDWICH TERNS flew south over Island Pit at 19:00, then later sat on the island at Diddington Pit from c.19:20 to just before dusk at least. Also 4-5 Common Terns, winter plumaged Sanderling, Curlew through north, female Scaup still, 4-5 Swallows, 1+ Sand Martin, 2 White Wagtails and a handful of Yellow Wagtails.

1 of 2 Sandwich Terns this evening at Paxton Pits.

Heron Trail: singing Nightingale on southern edge of sanctuary area, opposite Peter's Field in morning. Female Scaup reported on Heronry South early afternoon.

Northern Pits: adult winter Little Gull in morning, Bar-tailed Godwit in evening, plus 3+ Common Terns, female Scaup still (later reported on Heronry South), 4 Egyptian Geese, Ringed Plover, Snipe, c.6 House Martins, White Wagtail, 1+ Yellow Wagtail

White Wagtail, Paxton Pits today.

Island Pit: Lesser Whitethroat singing briefly at NW end of Pit; also 2 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Sedge Warblers and drake Red-crested Pochard.

Northern Pits: 2 Avocets early morning, female Scaup, female Marsh Harrier flew south, Red Kite, 5 Sand Martins and a single Swallow.

Northern Pits: Adult & 1st winter Little Gull and Common Tern on Pumphouse Pit early afternoon. Also drake Red-crested Pochard, pair of Egyptian Geese, Little Egret, Snipe and singing Sedge Warbler this morning.

Heron Trail: redhead Goosander flew south along the river; 3 singing Willow Warblers, several Blackcaps and a Lesser Redpoll feeding in Sallows at the south end of Washout Pit this morning.

Little Paxton village: male Blackcap singing at west end of village early morning.