Thursday 30 April 2009

Diddington Pit: adult Little Gull, plus c.50 Common Terns.

Wednesday 29 April 2009

Heronry Pits: 2 Hobbies, Cuckoo, Swift.

Tuesday 28 April 2009

Diddington Pit: WHISKERED TERN still mid afternoon today. As yesterday, park carefully by farm at SE side of Diddington village, then follow footpath across field to view from the SW corner of pit. Also 25+ Black-tailed Godwits over.





Whiskered Tern in flight over Diddington Pit

© Simon West



Visitors' Centre: male Hen Harrier over, plus Hobby early pm.

Monday 27 April 2009

Diddington Pit: WHISKERED TERN, adult found at c.15:15. Feeding amongst Common Terns and Black-headed Gulls and also resting on tops of dead willows in centre of the Pit. Last seen flying strongly south at 7pm. Diddington Pit can be viewed in from the footpath, just south east of Diddington village. Whiskered Tern on Diddington Pit








Whiskered Tern
© Jamie Wells



Also around northern pits today: Little Egret, drake Pintail, Ruddy Duck, Common Sandpiper, Dunlin, 5+ Swifts

Sunday 26 April 2009

Heronry South: drake Garganey

Island Pit: pair Red-crested Pochards still, plus Grasshopper Warbler singing

Northern Pits: drake Pintail, drake Wigeon, female Goldeneye, female Ruddy Duck, 3+ Dunlin, 2 Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit (flew north), female Bar-tailed Godwit, 1+ Common Sandpiper, Wheatear.

Saturday 25 April 2009

Diddington Pit: Little Tern mid-late afternoon at least, adult Little Gull, c.40 Common Terns, Greenshank, drake Pintail still, drake Wigeon, 4 Wheatears (3 males), 3 Yellow Wagtails, 3 Swifts, 2 Common Whitethroats

Northern Pits: Black-necked Grebe still, 2 Little Egrets, female Ruddy Duck, male Bar-tailed Godwit, 3 Dunlin, 3 Goldeneye still, 2 drake Pochards, 6+ Swift

Island Pit: Red-crested Pochard

Friday 24 April 2009

South end/reserve: Pair Shelduck, Sparrowhawk, Cettis Warbler, 8+ Common Whitethroats, 6 Lesser Whitethoats, 1-2 Garden Warblers, Reed Warbler, Yellow Wagtail over & 2+ pairs of Linnets around southern end of Pits complex this morning.

Great Meadow: Hobby flew north

Heronry North: Black Tern

Washout Pit: 2 Arctic Terns summer plumaged Black-necked Grebe, Paxton Pits










North end: summer plumaged Black-necked Grebe, 2 drake Wigeon, drake Pintail, 2 Goldeneye, 2 Ruddy Duck (male & female), Sparrowhawk, Little Ringed Plover, 3+ Ringed Plover, 2 Dunlin, Whimbrel, c.40 Common Terns, Arctic Tern, 3 Black Terns, 5 Yellow Wagtails, female Wheatear, 2 Lesser Whitethroats & 2 Common Whitethroats.
Whimbrel, Paxton Pits








Photo's: Black-necked Grebe (upper) & Whimbrel
© Jamie Wells

Thursday 23 April 2009

Hayling: Cettis warbler showing well, post 10. Lesser whitethroat, chiff-chaff, willow warbler, reed warbler, sedge warbler, garden warbler, black cap and nightingale.

Visitors' centre: cuckoo, buzzard, kestrel, sparrow hawk, common whitethroat, swallow, reed bunting.

Tuesday 21 April 2009

Car park area: Common whitethroat, lesser whitethroat and turtle dove:
Overhead: Marsh harrier and at least 6 buzzards. No hobbies yet.

Monday 20 April 2009

Northern Pits: drake Pintail, drake Red-crested Pochard, 6 Goldeneye, Ruddy Duck, Sparrowhawk, Knot still, Whimbrel, 1st summer Mediterranean Gull, adult Yellow-legged Gull, 18 Common Terns
Dodder Fen: Singing grasshopper warbler, cuckoo.
Anglers' car park: nightigale, lesser whitethroat.
Heron Trail: two yellow wagtails (one blue headed?)

Sunday 19 April 2009

Heronry North: Turtle Dove at north end of Sanctury

Northern Pits: 4 Shelduck, drake Pintail, drake Wigeon, fem. Ruddy Duck, 4 Buzzards, Knot, Whimbrel early am, Curlew late pm, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, 2nd summer Little Gull, Black Tern, 13 Arctic Terns (early am - flew north), Cuckoo, 3 Wheatears still & Lesser Whitethroat.

Saturday 18 April 2009

Diddington Pit: Egyptian Goose flew south, drake Pintail, drake Wigeon, Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plover, 2 Dunlin, Knot, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 3 Wheatears (2 males).

Northern Pits: Buzzard, 2 Ringed Plover, 3 Dunlin, several Common Terns, Yellow Wagtail, Cuckoo.

Thursday 16 April 2009

Island Pit: 1 Arctic Tern briefly this evening with 14+ Common Terns

Diddington Pit: drake Pintail, Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Ringed Plover, male Wheatear.

Tuesday 14 April 2009

Island Pit: pair Red-crested Pochards still, 8 Goldeneye at north end of pit

Diddington Pit: drake Pintail, 3 Dunlin, 4+ Ringed Plover, 8+ Redshank, Snipe

Northern Pits: Sparrowhawk, 3 Snipe, Green Sandpiper, 4+ Common Terns

Monday 13 April 2009

Garganey still this morning (per Birdguides) & 2 Brambling were seen.

Island Pit: 2 Red-crested Pochards still (pair), Kingfisher.

North end: Little Egret, 4 Shelduck, Bar-headed Goose, drake Pintail, Sparrowhawk, 7+ Buzzards, 7 Oystercatchers, 3-4 Little Ringed Plovers, 3 Ringed Plovers, Snipe, 7 Redshanks, 5 Common Terns, Kingfisher, Yellow Wagtail, 7 White Wagtails, female Wheatear.

Sunday 12 April 2009

Heronry South: drake Garganey from Hayden Hide, Whitethroat singing early morning

Diddington Pit: 3 Sandwich Terns: 2 in morning until 8:16am, then flew to Grafham Water (where they arrived at 8:22) and a single in the afternoon (which flew off north at 16:45); 2nd Summer Mediterranean Gull, Little Ringed Plover, 11 Yellow Wagtails, 8 White Wagtails

Northern most Pits: Little Egret, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, 1st summer Mediterranean Gull, several Common Terns, 2 Shelduck, 52 Teal

Great Meadow: Little Egret







Drake Garganey, Heronry South Pit
© Jamie Wells

Saturday 11 April 2009

Washout Pit: Green Sandpiper at flooded field on opposite side of river, plus Reed Warbler singing

Sailing Lake: 2 Common Terns, pair of Barnacle Geese

Diddington Pit: 1st summer Mediterranean Gull, Common Tern, Dunlin, 5+ Ringed Plover

Boughton Lodge Farm: Lesser Whitethroat singing

Heronry Pits: 4 singing Nightingales

At least 8, possibly as many as 12 Oystercatchers around complex







1st summer Mediterranean Gull (with adult Black-headed Gull)
© Jamie Wells

Friday 10 April 2009

Heronry Pits: 8 Nightingales singing early morning; Cuckoo nr Peter's Field & pos. Merlin seen between in area between the two hides

Sailing Lake: 2 Barnacle Geese, Sedge Warbler singing

North End: Little Egret, female Marsh Harrier flew south late morning, 3 Buzzards, Sparrowhawk, drake Pintail, Ruff still, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 8 Ringed Plover, Snipe, 4 Oystercatchers, 2-3 Swallows, c.15 Sand Martins, 8+ Yellow Wagtails, 5-6 White Wagtails, 3 Blackcaps, 6 Sedge Warblers, several Willow Warblers, Corn Bunting.

Rudd Lake: Reed Warbler singing in morning.

Little Paxton village: 3 House Martins this morning

Wednesday 8 April 2009

North end: drake Pintail, 9 Ringed Plover, 2 Dunlin, Ruff, 2 Snipe, Green Sandpiper over, 2 male Yellow Wagtails, 2 Willow Warblers.
Heron Trail, at least three nightingales singing between the basin and Peter's Field.

Monday 6 April 2009

Diddington Pit: Single Ruff, 2 Dunlin, 12 Redshank, 3-4 Ringed Plovers, 4 Oystercatchers & a Snipe this evening.

Sunday 5 April 2009

Heronry North: 3 Sand Martins, Willow Warbler

Island Pit: redhead Smew, 2 Red-crested Pochards (1 drk), 4 Sand Martins, Willow Warbler

North end: 3 Black-tailed Godwits, Ruff, Green Sandpiper, 2 Dunlin, 9 Ringed Plover, 4 Oystercatchers, 3 Snipe, Swallow, Willow Warbler & Sedge Warbler singing, Meadow Pipit singing and displaying, pair of Great Crested Grebes nest building.

Washout Pit: Kingfisher, plus 2 Shelducks & 2 Redshanks on flooded field - opp. side of river.

Little Paxton village: 2 Buzzards west of A1, plus House Martin

Saturday 4 April 2009

North end: Shelduck, c.10 Redshanks, 2 Oystercatchers, 3+ Snipe, 4 Ringed Plovers, 3 singing Blackcaps, 2 singing Willow Warblers

Friday 3 April 2009

Washout Pit: male Merlin in tree

Heronry South: 2 Swallows

North end: adult winter Little Gull, 6 Oystercatchers, 1+ Little Ringed Plover, 5 Ringed Plovers, Ruff, 3 Snipe, Curlew over (heading south), c.10 Redshanks, 2 Green Sandpipers.

5 Blackcaps singing around reserve end