Passage & breeding birds at Pits

Marsh Harrier (Mark Clarke)

Marsh Harrier (Mark Clarke)

 Female Ruff

 Sanderlings

Sanderlings

 Stunning Goldfinch

 Mute Swan family doing well

 Tawny Owl

Tawny Owlet

It's been a very busy last ten days at the pits with some quality waders passing through and our resident breeding birds generally doing well. Going down most evenings when not working hasn't given me much chance to update the blog

Passage picked up last Thursday when two Dunlin & a Ringed Plover came through. On the same day a pair of Common Tern were seen at the main pit but also Abbots Salford (AW).  A juvenile Tawny Owl was calling from the east side of the pits.

A Sanderling was a nice find on Friday morning which was linked to some inland migration across the county. The Ringed Plover was still present whilst there were 50 Swifts and 200 House Martin's feeding low.

On Saturday I was very hopeful of finally recording our first Black Tern of year but no luck on either of my visits. The Sanderling surprisingly stuck over night whilst there were also 60 Swallow, 5 Sand Martin, & 12 Swift but no Black Tern. A Red Kite was hunting on east of main pit late afternoon whilst a Cuckoo was calling on the south pit border.

Our second Ruff of the year was waiting for me on Sunday whilst a Great Crested Gebe was also on the main pit. 

Bank Holiday Monday didn't start well when Mark and I discovered a Tawny Owlet in the road. Very sad, it looked like the owlet had tried to fly from its breeding tree to the mothers roosting spot. Later in the evening we did find the parent bird sat back in the roost tree. Down at the main pit 3 Sanderling's all in slightly different plumages were feeding. The Common Terns were copulating increasing the chances they may bred again locally.

Very positive evening with a new Tawny Owlet in the roost tree which was really pleasing for myself and Mark who have put in a lot of time in trying to find the pair of local Tawnys. No real change on the main except 4 Sand Martin whilst two Great Crested Grebes were on the central lagoon.

On Wednesday I was stuck working late delivering a running project to 170 people when the Squire text me as he had found a Marsh Harrier roosting on Wheatear Hill by the main pit. Wow, what a brilliant record and our 118th species of the year. The session was made even better when he recored the Terns, Cuckoo & a Redshank.