Great start to March at Salford Priors

Little Owl

Can you see me

Tree top watching me

Stonechat

Gravel Pit selfie

Three Oystercatchers

Greenfinch

Great Crested Grebes

This weekends double shift of birding at the Gravel Pits was rewarded with some great finds. So often us birders walk miles having to settle for just the local birds but I left genuinely pleased after both morning sessions.

Saturday

I started off by walking the Pophills field where there were 11 Snipe, a single Jack Snipe, Common Sandpiper, 2 Skylarks and number of Meadow Pipits moving through. The Common Buzzard was sat on top of the Pophills Barn whilst on the Pophills Pit the Common Sandpiper was in the corner and a single Shelduck on the island. A Song Thrush sat in the hedge that split the field and pit.

As I reached the main pit two Lesser Black-backed Gulls were on the spit but the find of the day was a male Stonechat feeding along the edges of the pit. This is the first Stonechat I've found at the pits. They used to be resident until the habit started to be destroyed.

As I crossed the pits I got an amazing view of a male Peregrine chasing a Snipe which ended up with a close escape for the Snipe, on this occasion any way. 15 Linnets flew over as I walked on the bunds whist Teal numbers seemed to have dropped again.

As I walked along the back pools two Green Sandpiper took off and flew round the hidden pools where the Teal have been residing.

Sunday

A started my Sunday walk by exploring the areas east of the main pits. After a good deal of searching in recent months I finally located the tree where a pair of Little Owl had made their home. I'd had a couple of recent sightings so I was particularly pleased when I could see one of birds looking straight at me from the side of the tree. I couldn't resist watching the Owl go about his business for a good forty minutes before heading down to the main pits.

Two Great Crested Grebe had moved in and were swimming around the end of the pit with the Canada Geese. There was a pair last year but they moved on sadly, lets hope they hang around this year to breed. The pair of Oystercatchers were joined by one of last year juveniles and all three were busy on the island feeding.

Other Sunday sightings observed by myself and Jon included:- six Shelduck, two Buzzard, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, male Stonechat on top of the bunds by the bypass pools,  Peregrine, Pochard, three Shoveler, Green and Common Sandpiper, Jack snipe, 27 Snipe, 21 Cormorants, 128 Greylags, two Grey Wagtail, 92 Teal and at least seven Water Rails. 

With us now into March I will be hoping for find a Wheatear, Sand Martin, Little Ringed Plover whilst Willow Warblers are due at the end of the month closely followed by the Cuckoo.