Tuesday 28 October 2014

Stirtloe: ringtail HEN HARRIER over elephant grass east of Stirtloe sewage works late morning (this area is just NW of the northern end of the Paxton Pits complex).

Monday 27 October 2014

Northern Pits: WATER PIPIT again in evening, plus Pintail, 2 Green Sandpipers, 2 Little Egrets and a Grey Wagtail.

Saturday 25 October 2014

A1 North Pit: juvenile Pink-footed Goose with 400 Greylag Geese.

Heronry South: male Peregrine circling over east scrub.

Island Pit: 5 Goldeneye.

Washout Pit: Water Rail.

Northern Pits: pair of Stonechats still, adult Yellow-legged Gull, 2 Green Sandpipers, plus Clouded Yellow.

Saturday 18 October 2014

Northern Pits: WATER PIPIT late afternoon at Pumphouse Pit, feeding alongside a Rock Pipit on and off. Also single Wheatear, 14 Snipe and 2 Pintail.

Thursday 16 October 2014

Northern Pits: 1-2 Rock Pipits, Green Sandpiper, Peregrine, Barn Owl, Fieldfare over.

Wednesday 15 October 2014

Northern Pits: GREAT WHITE EGRET this evening, plus Barn Owl, 5 Little Egrets, Pintail, Snipe, Golden Plover, Dunlin and Green Sandpiper.

Tuesday 14 October 2014

Northern Pits: an incredible few minutes this evening in which a GLOSSY IBIS dropped in briefly just after 6pm (then flew south through the reserve), followed a few minutes later by the first site record of a LONG-TAILED SKUA (a juvenile) heading west with Black-headed Gulls. The Skua was then located at Grafham Water shortly afterwards.

Also seen during the evening were a Jack Snipe, 1+ Rock Pipit, 7 Pintail, 4 Little Egrets & 15 Golden Plovers.


Sunday 12 October 2014

Washout Pit: 2 Water Rails, including one showing well on edge of reedbed from the east side of  the pit.

Northern Pits: 4 Pintail, 2 Green Sandpipers, 6 Golden Plovers & Snipe.

Friday 10 October 2014

Washout Pit: GREAT WHITE EGRET stood on north edge of reeds at 10:10, but not again by late morning.

Northern Pits: 1-2 Rock Pipit.

Wednesday 8 October 2014

Heronry South: no sign again of Yellow-browed Warbler, but 1-2 Marsh Tits, 3 Coal Tits, 2 Chiffchaffs and Goldcrest in the area. Some Song Thrush and Skylark movement evident overhead.

Northern Pits: male and female Stonechat still around, plus Ruff and Green Sandpiper again and a single Ringed Plover through. Blackcap & Cetti's Warbler noted at north end of Island Pit.

Tuesday 7 October 2014

Heronry South: YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER in hedgerow by Education Centre, then in Silver Birches between Ed. Centre and site of Hayden Hide at 18:06, but no further sign by dusk.

Northern Pits: Curlew Sandpiper flew low south with 2 Dunlin at 17:15; also immature Peregrine, 1st winter Mediterranean Gull (not the bird from Saturday), 2 Green Sandpipers, Ruff, 6 Snipe, Grey Wagtail and 1-2 Rock Pipit(s).

Saturday 4 October 2014

Northern Pits: An apparent 1cy Mediterranean Gull with an entirely adult-type black hood! This bird has also been recorded at Grafham recently, see photo here: Med Gull .The full black hood is understood to be caused by some form of hormonal imbalance.

Also present were 4 Pintail, Goldeneye, Ruff & 2 Snipe.