Saturday 31 October 2009

Northern Pits: 5 Little Egrets, 2 Pintail, 1-2 Buzzards, 70+ Golden Plover, juvenile Little Stint, 9 Dunlin, 2 Jack Snipe, several Common Snipe, 5 Redshank, Greenshank, 3 Green Sandpipers, pos. Rock Pipit heard briefly.

Thursday 29 October 2009

Northern Pits: 3 Little Egret, Bar-headed Goose, 290+ Teal, 9 Pintail, 65 Golden Plover, 800 Lapwings, 4 Dunlin, Snipe, Redshank, Blackcap, Chiffchaff.

Tuesday 27 October 2009

Northern Pits: 3 Little Egrets, 6 Pintail, Buzzard, 15 Golden Plover, 6 Dunlin, Snipe, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, 4 Yellow-legged Gulls, 2 Kingfishers, 150 Fieldfare, 100 Redwing.

Monday 26 October 2009

Northern Pits: 4 Little Egret, 7 Pintail, drake Scaup, 26 Goldeneye, 2 Sparrowhawks, 3 Golden Plover, 2 Dunin, 2 Snipe, Redshank, Greenshank, 2 Green Sandpipers, 2 Yellow-legged Gulls, Kingfisher.

Sunday 25 October 2009

A1 South Pit: Buzzard low over.

Heronry North: 2 adult Whooper Swans still, female Pintail, Marsh Tit (moorings).

Island Pit: female Pochard with pale blue nasal saddle, Siskin over.
















1 of 2 adult Whooper Swans on Heronry North Pit.

Saturday 24 October 2009

Diddington Pit: 6 Little Egrets, Egyptian Goose, 7 Pintail, 3 Dunlin, 2 Greenshank.

Farm Pit: Drake Scaup still amongst c.900 Tufted Ducks.

Island Pit: Barn Owl hunting at dusk.

Pumphouse Pit: 1st winter Mediterranean Gull, 4+ adult Yellow-legged Gulls.

Thursday 22 October 2009

Heronry Pits: 2 Whooper Swans loafing with mutes near Kingfisher hide. Also drake red crested pochard with very high numbers of wigeon and gadwall. 2 kingfishers, redwings, marsh tit.

Wednesday 21 October 2009

Diddington Pit: 4 Little Egrets, Barnacle Goose, Egyptian Goose, 4 Pintail, 6 Dunlin.

Farm Pit: 2 Scaup; an eclipse male and adult female.

Tuesday 20 October 2009

Island Pit: Little Egret, eclipse drake Scaup, 12+ Goldeneye.

Northern Pits: 3 Little Egrets, 8+ Pintail, Ringed Plover, 2 Golden & single Grey Plover over together, heading SW; 6 Dunlin, Green Sandpiper.
eclipse drake Scaup, Paxton Pits









Drake Scaup (left) with Tufted Duck, Island Pit, Paxton Pits.

Monday 19 October 2009

Heronry North: 2 Whooper Swans.

Island Pit: 12 Goldeneye, Water Rail.

Northern Pits: 6+ Little Egrets, 2+ Pintail, Ringed Plover, 7 Dunlin, 3 Snipe, Redshank, 2-3 Greenshank, Green Sandpipers.

A combined count of Tufted Ducks on Island Pit, Farm Pit, Diddington Pit and Pumphouse Pit produced an exceptional 1614 birds.

Sunday 18 October 2009

Northern Pits: 4 Little Egrets, juvenile Scaup, Golden Plover 6 Dunlin, Green Sandpiper, 3 Rock Pipits.

Island Pit: Long-eared Owl at 17:00, mobbed by a Carrion Crow.

Friday 16 October 2009

Heronry North: Pintail, female Red-crested Pochard.

Island Pit: male Red-crested Pochard.

Northern Pits: 4 Little Egrets, 1470 Tufted Ducks, Buzzard, Ringed Plover, Grey Plover, 9 Dunlin, 2 Yellow-legged Gulls.

Wednesday 14 October 2009

Northern Pits: 6 Little Egrets, 2 Whooper Swans (flew off north from Pumphouse Pit), Bar-headed Goose, 5 Pintail, Ringed Plover, 190 Golden Plover, 7 Dunlin, Redshank, Green Sandpiper, Yellow-legged Gull, 200+ Redwing.

Tuesday 13 October 2009

Northern Pits: Lesser White-fronted x Bar-headed Goose hybrid again.

Monday 12 October 2009

Northern Pits: 4 Little Egrets, 5 Pintail, Sparrowhawk, 9 Buzzard (inc. 6 together, heading south), Ringed Plover, Golden Plover, 450 Lapwing, 5 Dunlin, 2 Green Sandpipers, 2 Yellow-legged Gulls, Stonechat.

Sunday 11 October 2009

Diddington Pit: Little Egret, GLOSSY IBIS, 6 Pintail, 2 Ringed Plover, 5 Dunlin, 10 Snipe, Rock Pipit.

Pumphouse Pit: 2 Little Egrets, White-fronted Goose-type hybrid (prob. Lesser White-fronted x Bar-headed Goose), Barnacle Goose, 132 Wigeon, 23 Golden Plover, 5 Yellow-legged Gulls, 4CY Caspian Gull.

Island Pit: 582 Tufted Duck, 5 Goldeneye (2 males), Water Rail, Barn Owl, Redwing; 2 Siskin & single Redpoll over, heading south.

Farm Pit: 32 Little Grebes (inc. 2 juveniles still being fed by adults), 163 Tufted Duck.

Saturday 10 October 2009

Northern Pits: 4+ Little Egrets, GLOSSY IBIS, 9 Pintail, c.300 Lapwing, 2 Dunlin, male Stonechat.
Male Stonechat, Paxton Pits















Male Stonechat, Paxton Pits.

Friday 9 October 2009

Northern Pits: 7 Little Egrets, GLOSSY IBIS, Barnacle Goose, 5 Pintail, 4 Buzzards, Dunlin, 3 Yellow-legged Gulls, Kingfisher.

Wednesday 7 October 2009

Northern Pits: GLOSSY IBIS still on Diddington Pit; 5 Little Egrets, 2 Pintail, 750+ Tufted Duck, Goldeneye, 3 Golden Plover, Greenshank, 2 Yellow-legged Gulls, 50 Meadow Pipits feeding.

Diddington village: Peregrine flew south over

Tuesday 6 October 2009

Diddington Pit: GANNET flew in from the south early afternoon and spent c.30 mins fishing/preening on the pit, before heading off North West; GLOSSY IBIS and BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER still present; 6 Little Egrets, 22 Golden Plovers, 2 Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, 2 adult Yellow-legged Gulls, Kingfisher.

Monday 5 October 2009

Diddington Pit: 1w GLOSSY IBIS and juvenile BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER still today. Please park sensibly and respect residents of Diddington village.

Other sightings from around the Northern Pits: Barnacle Goose, Egyptian Goose, Bar-headed Goose, 780+ Tufted Duck, Goldeneye, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Avocet, 3 Greenshank, 2 Yellow-legged Gulls.

Little Paxton village: Redwing heard late evening.

Sunday 4 October 2009

Diddington Pit: BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER found late morning, favouring the long spit that branches off north from the main island; GLOSSY IBIS still, favouring area at SW end of pit. Also: 3+ Little Egrets, 4 Pintail, 3 Greenshanks, c.100 Linnets.Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Paxton Pits














Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Diddington Pit.

Saturday 3 October 2009

Diddington Pit: GLOSSY IBIS still today; 7+ Little Egrets, Greenshank, c.100 Linnets.

Friday 2 October 2009

Diddington Pit: GLOSSY IBIS again today (also seen briefly on Heronry South early pm). Also: 10 Little Egrets, 7 Pintail, Curlew, 2 Greenshank. Glossy Ibis, Diddington Pit
















Heronry South: Glossy Ibis came into roost at c.18:35 with 3 Little Egrets; 3000+ Jackdaws, 1000+ Rooks in roost.

Thursday 1 October 2009

Diddington Pit: GLOSSY IBIS this afternoon, feeding on exposed mud at SW end of pit. It then flew south towards the reserve at 18:27. Also this afternoon/evening: 11 adult Whooper Swans until c.18:15 before flying NW towards Grafham; 5+ Little Egrets, 4+ Pintail, Marsh Harrier, 3 Greenshank.














Glossy Ibis (above) & below 6 of 11 Whooper Swans, Diddington Pit