The latest bird and wildlife news from Paxton Pits. Paxton Pits Local Nature Reserve is managed by Huntingdonshire District Council in partnership with The Friends of Paxton Pits Nature Reserve.
Friday 31 December 2010
Thursday 30 December 2010
Wednesday 29 December 2010
Monday 27 December 2010
Sunday 26 December 2010
Saturday 25 December 2010
Thursday 23 December 2010
Wednesday 22 December 2010
Sunday 19 December 2010
Saturday 18 December 2010
Wednesday 15 December 2010
Monday 13 December 2010
Sunday 12 December 2010
Heronry Pits: Kingfisher, Nuthatch (heard only), 2 Marsh Tits, 11 Lesser Redpolls feeding in Silver Birch tree by the Hayden Hide.
Island Pit: Siskin over.
Moorings: Bittern seen in flight along river at midday.
Diddington/Pumphouse Pits: 3 Snipe, Curlew, 3 Redshank.
Sailing Lake: Sparrowhawk, Siskin over.
Visitors' Centre: Marsh Tit at bird table.
Washout Pit: drake and redhead Goosander on river adjacent to Washout.
Little Paxton village: Buzzard over west, Grey Wagtail.
Saturday 11 December 2010
Friday 10 December 2010
Wednesday 8 December 2010
Sunday 5 December 2010
Saturday 4 December 2010
Monday 29 November 2010
Sunday 28 November 2010
Heronry Pits: 3 Red-crested Pochards (1 drake), c.120 Teal, 2 Kingfishers, 5 Siskins.
Island Pit: 4 Red-crested Pochards (1 drake).
Pumphouse Pit: 2 drake Pintail, drake Ruddy Duck, plus 2 Siskins and 6 Redpolls over.
Sailing Lake: c.10 Siskins.
Saturday 27 November 2010
Wednesday 24 November 2010
Tuesday 23 November 2010
Monday 22 November 2010
Saturday 20 November 2010
Friday 19 November 2010
Wednesday 17 November 2010
Tuesday 16 November 2010
Sunday 14 November 2010
Island Pit: 75 Goldeneyes, Sparrowhawk, Kingfisher, c.150 Redwings, 1+ Siskins over.
Tuesday 9 November 2010
Sunday 7 November 2010
A1 North Pit: Short-eared Owl, male Grey Wagtail and male Stonechat.
Heron Trail: Coal Tit & Marsh tit (also both seen at visitors' centre bird table), Siskins.
Whooper Swans at Diddington Pit.
Saturday 30 October 2010
Diddington & Pumphouse Pits: c.6 Little Egrets, Pintail, 2+ Buzzards, 2 Sparrowhawks, 21 Golden Plovers over, c.400 Lapwings, 3 Dunlin, 4 Ruff, 8+ Redshank, 2-3 Green Sandpipers, Lesser Redpoll.
Heronry South: 5 Red-crested Pochards (4 drakes), 5 Lesser Redpolls around basin.
Great Meadow: 2 Lesser Redpolls.
Red-crested Pochards at Heronry South Pit.
Thursday 28 October 2010
Tuesday 26 October 2010
Sunday 24 October 2010
Island Pit: 4 Red-crested Pochards (2 drakes).
Thursday 14 October 2010
Diddington & Pumphouse Pits: 13 Little Egrets, 3 Pintail, 2 Snipe, 2 Greenshanks, Barn Owl, 15 Redwing.
Island Pit: female Goldeneye, Water Rail, 25 Fieldfare.
Meadow Trail: 7 Shoveller on Hayling Pit.
Wednesday 13 October 2010
Tuesday 12 October 2010
Sunday 10 October 2010
Saturday 9 October 2010
Also, a belated report of a Great White Egret, which flew west from north western end of pit complex at 16:20.
Friday 8 October 2010
Thursday 7 October 2010
Tuesday 5 October 2010
Saturday 2 October 2010
Diddington & Pumphouse Pits: Immature Marsh Harrier seen in mid air battle with a female Peregrine; 2 Buzzards, 11 Ringed Plover, 3+ Dunlin, 3 Greenshank.
Heronry Pits: Egyptian Goose, Chiffchaff, Marsh Tit, Treecreeper, plus 3 Siskins (flew over).
Island Pit: 6 Redwings.
Also 6+ Little Egrets and 5 Kingfishers around pit complex.
Little Paxton village: Peregrine and Buzzard over Park Way in afternoon; groups of 9 and then 1+ Siskins over Hawthorn Close during morning
Friday 1 October 2010
Tuesday 28 September 2010
Diddington & Pumphouse Pit: 3 Little Egrets, Egyptian Goose, Ruddy Shelduck (seen in flight again -presumably this species and not one of the other similar exotic escapees!), c.50 Lapwing, Ringed Plover, 2 Redshank, 2+ Greenshank, 1+ Kingfishers.
Monday 27 September 2010
Heron Trail: c6 Chiffchaffs, 3 Song Thrushes, 3 Redwings, quite a few Blackcaps on elderberries, Treecreeper, Spotted Flycatcher near classroom. Marsh Tit at the Hayden Hide, c 20 House Martins, 6 Swallows a few Sand Martins. LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER near Kingfisher hide (JAS).
Diddington Pit: 2 Little Egrets, c.20 Teal, 5 Ringed Plover, 2 Dunlin, Redshank, Greenshank, Snipe, Kestrel, Kingfisher, 2 Swallows.
Sunday 26 September 2010
Saturday 25 September 2010
Friday 24 September 2010
Wednesday 22 September 2010
Island Pit: Cetti's Warbler.
Saturday 18 September 2010
2 juvenile Pectoral Sandpipers, Diddington Pit, Paxton Pits © Neal Parkin.
1 of 2 Pectoral Sandpipers showing well on Diddington Pit today © Mark Hawkes.
Friday 17 September 2010
Thursday 16 September 2010
Wednesday 15 September 2010
Tuesday 14 September 2010
Please remember to only use car park at north end of Diddington village and then walk back south to view pit from public footpath at SE end of village.
Monday 13 September 2010
Sunday 12 September 2010
Farm Pit: Kingfisher.
Island Pit: Little Egret, Cetti's Warbler singing briefly.
Saturday 11 September 2010
Island Pit: 13 Little Grebes, good numbers of Wigeon (many arriving from the north during morning).
Friday 10 September 2010
Tuesday 7 September 2010
Spotted Flycatcher, Pumphouse Pit.
Thursday 2 September 2010
Tuesday 31 August 2010
Island Pit: Ringed Plover flew south, Kingfisher.
Meadow: Hobby.
Monday 30 August 2010
Friday 27 August 2010
Farm Pit: 2 Turtle Doves.
Wood Sandpiper, Diddington Pit © Jamie Wells.
Monday 23 August 2010
Sunday 22 August 2010
Diddington & Pumphouse Pits: Egyptian Goose, Bar-headed Goose, juvenile Marsh Harrier, 3+ Buzzards, 1-2 Hobbies, c.6 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Dunlin, 5 Snipe, Spotted Redshank (in evening) Common Redshank, 3 Greenshank, 6 Green Sandpipers, 3 Common Sandpipers, Common Tern, Turtle Dove, Kingfisher, Whinchat, c.40 Linnets.
Diddington village: Large, pale and broad-winged (probably hybrid) Falcon - perhaps Peregrine x Gyr - circling low over village late morning, then drifted west; c.6 Yellow Wagtails feeding around farm building.
Yellow Wagtail, Diddington.
Tuesday 17 August 2010
Farm Pit: 2 Turtle Doves.
Monday 16 August 2010
Sunday 15 August 2010
Farm Pit: 14 adult Little Grebes, Kestrel, Kingfisher.
Saturday 14 August 2010
Boughton Lodge Farm quarry pit: 4 Green Sandpipers.
Washout Pit: single Green Sandpiper.
Friday 13 August 2010
Thursday 12 August 2010
Tuesday 10 August 2010
Island Pit: Leucistic drake Gadwall, Kingfisher.
Monday 9 August 2010
Sunday 8 August 2010
A roving tit flock along the footpath at the north of Pumphouse Pit contained: 2 Whitethroat, 2 Lesser whitethroat, Reed warbler, 4+ Chiffchaffs, 3+ Willow Warblers, 2 Garden Warblers, 6 Bullfinch (family party), plus Jay.
Heronry North: Green Sandpiper.
Meadow Trail: Cetti's Warbler.
Washout Pit: 2 Green Sandpipers
A roving tit flock on the footpath at the north of Pumphouse Pit contained: whitethroat(2), lesser whitethroat (2), reed warbler, chif chaffs (4+), willow warblers (3+), garden warblers (2), bullfinch (fam of 6), jay, robin, blue tits, great tits, long-tailed tits, chaffinches. (MD)
Thursday 5 August 2010
Paxton Pits: 5 Kingfishers noted around complex.
Wednesday 4 August 2010
Tuesday 3 August 2010
Sunday 1 August 2010
Boughton Lodge Farm (quarry pit): 3 Green Sandpipers around pit, just south of the farm.
Saturday 31 July 2010
Boughton Lodge Farm: 15 (fifteen) Green Sandpipers in newest quarry pit, just south of the farm.
Visitors' Centre: Hobby flew over.
Washout Pit: 2 Snipe, Green Sandpiper.
Friday 30 July 2010
Thursday 29 July 2010
Wednesday 28 July 2010
Tuesday 27 July 2010
Diddington Village: adult and young Tawny Owls calling at dusk.
Monday 26 July 2010
Sunday 25 July 2010
Island Pit: Tufted Duck with 9 ducklings, 19 Pochard, Red Kite (prob same as seen over Pumphouse Pit), Kingfisher.
Saturday 24 July 2010
Friday 23 July 2010
Tuesday 20 July 2010
Sunday 18 July 2010
Saturday 17 July 2010
Friday 16 July 2010
Wednesday 14 July 2010
Monday 12 July 2010
Monday 5 July 2010
Sunday 4 July 2010
Friday 2 July 2010
Thursday 1 July 2010
Wednesday 30 June 2010
Tuesday 29 June 2010
Sunday 27 June 2010
Island Pit: Cetti's Warbler singing still, plus Lesser Whitethroat family.
Common Buzzard over Diddington Pit, Paxton Pits.
Saturday 26 June 2010
Friday 25 June 2010
Wednesday 23 June 2010
Monday 21 June 2010
Sunday 20 June 2010
Sunday 13 June 2010
Saturday 12 June 2010
Tuesday 8 June 2010
Saturday 5 June 2010
Friday 4 June 2010
Island Pit: Cetti's Warbler.
Meadow Trail: Grasshopper Warbler singing and showing in full view; 2 Cetti's Warblers singing still.
Heronry South: 2 Turtle Doves singing from wires nr new education centre.
Tuesday 1 June 2010
Monday 31 May 2010
Saturday 29 May 2010
[No further sign of female Blue-winged Teal today].
Island Pit: singing Grasshopper Warbler.
Pumphouse Pit: 3 Little Egret, drake Red-crested Pochard, 3+ Little Ringed Plover.
Friday 28 May 2010
Thursday 27 May 2010
Female Blue-winged Teal, Diddington Pit, Paxton Pits.
Wednesday 26 May 2010
Tuesday 25 May 2010
Island Pit: Cetti's Warbler.
Meadow: Hobby over Visitors' Centre.
Temminck's Stint, Diddington Pit © Jamie Wells
Monday 24 May 2010
Meadow: Sparrowhawk, 1-2 Hobbies.
Heron Trail: Tawny Owl nr post 16, chased by a Song Thrush at 21:00; 2 Cuckoos on the river island, seen from river viewpoint.
Sunday 23 May 2010
Saturday 22 May 2010
Thursday 20 May 2010
Island Pit: Cetti's Warbler still in NW corner.
Wednesday 19 May 2010
Island Pit: 1+ Hobbies, c.200 Black-headed Gulls hawking insects, Cetti's Warbler.
Monday 17 May 2010
Sunday 16 May 2010
Island Pit: male Red-crested Pochard.
Meadow Trail: GOSHAWK seen again.
Saturday 15 May 2010
Sailing Lake: 2 RAVENS over at 12pm.
Diddington & Pumphouse Pits: 4 Tundra Ringed Plover, Grey Plover still, 24 Dunlin, Turnstone still, Cuckoo mobbed by pair of Meadow Pipits, female Greenland Wheatear.
Little Paxton village: Red Kite over.
Friday 14 May 2010
Heronry Pits: 3 Red-crested Pochards (2 drakes), Red Kite high over, Kingfisher.
Sailing Lake: Common Sandpiper.
Little Paxton village: male Grey Wagtail at sluice, male Sparrowhawk over.
Thursday 13 May 2010
Island Pit: drake Red-crested Pochard, pair Common Pochard, 4 Hobbies, Cetti's Warbler.
Visitors' Centre: GOSHAWK mobbed by female Sparrowhawk to east of Visitors' Centre at 13:15.
Avocet, Diddington Pit, Paxton Pits.
Monday 10 May 2010
Island Pit: Cetti's Warbler.
Sunday 9 May 2010
Island Pit: 2 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Grasshopper Warblers.
Turnstone, Pumphouse Pit, Paxton Pits.
Saturday 8 May 2010
Island Pit: pair Red-crested Pochard, 2 drake Pochard, Barn Owl, Cetti's Warbler, Grasshopper Warbler.
Friday 7 May 2010
Thursday 6 May 2010
Wednesday 5 May 2010
Island Pit: pair Red-crested Pochard, 2 male Pochard, Grasshopper & Cetti's Warblers both singing still.
Sunday 2 May 2010
Saturday 1 May 2010
Friday 30 April 2010
Island Pit: drake Red-crested Pochard, 1-2 Cetti's Warblers.
Thursday 29 April 2010
Wednesday 28 April 2010
Island Pit: Cetti's Warbler still in NW corner.
Pumphouse Pit: 8+ Little Egrets, Hobby, 3 Dunlin, 3 Little Ringed Plovers, 3 Common Sandpipers, 2 Greenshank, c.8 Yellow-legged Gulls, 64 Common Terns, 3 Black Terns, c.50 Swifts, male Blue-headed Wagtail with 31 Yellow Wagtails, male Greenland Wheatear, Nightingale, Grasshopper Warbler.
Tuesday 27 April 2010
Monday 26 April 2010
Sunday 25 April 2010
Heronry South: female PIED FLYCATCHER in conservation area between the Hayden & Kingfisher Hides late afternoon and early evening; female Marsh Harrier high north at 19:20,plus Red Kite and a singing Garden Warbler.
Pied Flycatcher, Heronry South © Mark Hawkes
Heronry North: 2 adult Little Gulls.
Island Pit: Drake Red-crested Pochard, Grasshopper Warbler, Cetti's Warbler.
A1 North Pit: Grasshopper Warbler.
Diddington & Pumphouse Pits: female GOSHAWK again, showing between 14:35 & c.15:45 occasionally with Common Buzzards, before heading southwards; 2 Little Egrets, Red Kite, 7+ Buzzards, Hobby, male Peregrine, Tundra Ringed Plover, 3 Whimbrel, 2 Common Sandpipers, c.60 Common Terns, 2 Arctic Terns, 2 Cuckoos, 2 Greenland Wheatears
Video of Goshawk over Diddington Pit © Jamie Wells
Saturday 24 April 2010
Heronry South: pair Red-crested Pochards, 2 Sparrowhawks, Hobby, 2 Cuckoos, 10 singing Nightingales, 2+ Lesser Whitethroats.
Island Pit: drake Red-crested Pochard.
Friday 23 April 2010
Diddington & Pumphouse Pits: drake Wigeon, c.5 Goldeneye, 5 Little Ringed Plover, 9 Ringed Plover, 3 Dunlin, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, Common Sandpiper, adult Yellow-legged Gull, 21 Common Terns, Arctic Tern, 19+ Yellow Wagtails (inc. female Flava-type).
Boughton Lodge Farm/Farm Pit: 2 Buzzards, Lesser Whitethroat.
2 of 3 islandica Black-tailed Godwits at Diddington Pit.
Thursday 22 April 2010
Wednesday 21 April 2010
Tuesday 20 April 2010
Monday 19 April 2010
Heronry South: 3 Red-crested Pochards (2 drakes), Kingfisher.
Island Pit: 2 drake Red-crested Pochards.
Meadow Trail: 2+ Cetti's Warblers.
Little Paxton village: 2 House Martins.
Saturday 17 April 2010
Friday 16 April 2010
Thursday 15 April 2010
Wednesday 14 April 2010
Tuesday 13 April 2010
Sunday 11 April 2010
Diddington & Pumphouse Pits: 3+ Buzzards, Sparrowhawk, Bar-tailed Godwit, Little Ringed Plover, adult Yellow-legged Gull, Common Tern.
Meadow Trail: 4 Buzzards, Sparrowhawk, 2 singing Cetti's Warblers.
Several Sedge Warblers now singing around complex.
Saturday 10 April 2010
Cloudy Pit: Cetti's Warbler singing.
Rudd Lake: a second singing Cetti's Warbler.
Meadow: Cuckoo heard to the south of meadow.
Friday 9 April 2010
Wednesday 31 March 2010
Sunday 28 March 2010
Heronry Pits: 3 Red-crested Pochards (2 drakes), Red Kite over, 14+ Sand Martins.
Diddington and Pumphouse Pits: Little Egret, 4 Shelduck, 200 Golden Plover over, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 3 Ringed Plover, 13 Redshank, 3 Oystercatchers, 2 Snipe, 2+ Yellow Wagtails.
Meadow: Kingfisher.
Boughton Lodge Farm: Blackcap singing (just south of farm).
Washout Pit: 2 Shelduck on opp. side of river, Oystercatcher over.
Little Paxton village: Willow Warbler singing at back of village playing field (opp. Sailing Lake).
11+ singing Chiffchaffs around complex.
Saturday 27 March 2010
Thursday 25 March 2010
Monday 22 March 2010
Sunday 21 March 2010
Heronry Pits: At least 8 active Grey Heron nests; 3 Red-crested Pochard (2 drks), 3 Smew (1 drk), 4 Buzzards, Cetti's Warbler reported by post 13, Blackcap singing nr Kingfisher Hide, 3 Chiffchaffs, FIRECREST still at Wray House Garden.
Island Pit: 4 Red-crested Pochard, Woodcock.
Sailing Lake: 2 Oystercatchers, Yellow-legged Gull.
Saturday 20 March 2010
Island Pit: 2 pairs Red-crested Pochard, Woodcock, Kingfisher, Barn Owl.
Diddington & Pumphouse Pits: Little Egret, redhead Smew, 2 Snipe, 7 Redshank, 4 Oystercatchers, single Swallow and Sand Martin.
Friday 19 March 2010
Thursday 18 March 2010
Sunday 14 March 2010
Island Pit: 4 Red-crested Pochard (2 drk), 2 Goosander (1 drk), Green Sandpiper.
Farm Pit: Red Kite flew south.
Heronry Pits: 6 Smew (2 drk), Water Rail, Marsh Tit
Visitors' Centre: Bewick's Swan over.
Washout Pit: Water Rail.
Wednesday 10 March 2010
Island Pit: pair Red-crested Pochard.
Hayling Lake: Merlin.
Great Meadow: 100+ Fieldfares.
Sailing Lake: Kestrel; Tawny Owl in boundary wood and Black-headed Gulls looking for nesting areas on the islands.
Visitors' Centre: Long-tailed Tits on feeders
Note: Several Weasel sightings this week.
Tuesday 9 March 2010
Monday 8 March 2010
Sunday 7 March 2010
Saturday 6 March 2010
Friday 5 March 2010
Island Pit: 3 Red-crested Pochard (2 drakes), Buzzard.
Herorny South: 5 Smew (2 drakes).
Sailing Lake: Oystercatcher.
Red-necked Grebe reported today (per RBA), although no details specified.
Tuesday 2 March 2010
Saturday 27 February 2010
Heronry North: 3 Red-crested Pochards (2 drakes), Coal Tit and Goldcrest singing in Wray House Garden.
Great Meadow: 3 Sparrowhawks displaying.
Island Pit: drake Red-crested Pochard, Short-eared Owl again on east side of pit, roosting Barn Owl.
Diddington Pit: Little Egret, Green Sandpiper, Redshank.
Pumphouse Pit: drake Pintail, 3 redhead Smew, 3 Oystercatchers, 2 Ringed Plovers.
A1 North Pit: drake Red-crested Pochard.