Pitsford Common Bird Census

Hello

I spent the first half of the day completing a Common Bird Census around the reserve section of Pitsford Reservoir. I use this as an excuse to go looking for interesting insects, mammals etc too. Seven hours of surveying saw me meet just one other person, something that makes the reserve very special if you enjoy taking in the wildlife around you without the people for a change. The best birds were probably a Barn Owl, a Hobby, a Yellow-legged Gull and two Great White Egrets (in non-breeding plumage) and also a Little Egret, a drake Wigeon, a small collection of Gadwall and a Raven family.

Crossbills were heard calling in the Walgrave Bay and may not have lingered and it was concerning how few contacts I had with Marsh Tit (one bird), two Bullfinch contacts only and only one singing Lesser Whitethroat. Although singing on-site earlier in the spring there were no singing Willow Warblers and just one territory of Sedge Warbler. Twenty singing Garden Warblers is also low but there were many more in May and hopefully they are busy feeding broods of young rather than singing.

A Grass Snake was seen briefly, in all probability the only species of reptile on-site and very much reduced in number over the last couple of decades. Odonata comprised of Broad-bodied and Four-spotted Chasers plus Common Blue Damselflies and Large Red-eyed Damselflies but there will be other species I missed. Five species of butterfly included my first Meadow Browns of the year.

At Stanford Reservoir the Grasshopper Warbler was 'reeling' again this morning and a Quail was heard singing near the dam this evening. Two Cuckoos were also present.

Another Grasshopper Warbler was showing well near the layby entrance of Whiston Wetlands this morning. A Siskin was heard calling flying over Hanging Houghton early this morning.

On this blog the pages for the two Camargue in Spring tours and the Romanian tour to the Carpathians and Danube Delta have been updated with additional images.

Regards

Neil M

Common Blue Damselfly.

Juvenile Carrion Crow.

Ovipositoring female
Broad-bodied Chaser.

Male Broad-bodied Chaser.

Recently-emerged
Broad-bodied Chaser.

Large Red-eyed Damselfly.

All images from Pitsford
Reservoir today.