Sunday 10 November 2019

Water levels reach new highs at pits

Stonechat

Stonechat
The main spit and stint island have now disapperared under water completely. In all the years I've been visiting the pits I've never seen the water level so high. Whilst this shoud be good for water fowl, the local shooting are having a genuine adverse effect on wintering ducks.

Bird of the week is a Short-eared Owl flushed by Mike Inskip from the channel between the old working and the central lagoon. A very valuable year tick for us. Mark did head down after work to try and relocate the bird but had no luck.

My own visit on Saturday was very disappointing and extremely wet.

The best counts over both days at weekend were as follows :- 21 Little Grebe, 25 Cormorant, 3 Grey Heron, 5 Mute Swan, 585 Greylag, 505 Canda Geese, 1 Greylag x Canada hybrid, 4 WIgeon, 2 Gadwall, 7 Teal, 370 Mallard, 1 Shoveler, 5 Pochard, 35 Tufted Duck, 6 Buzzard, 1 adult male Peregrine, 10 Water Rails, 105 Coot, 18 Lapwing, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 adult Caspian Gull, 4 Common Gull, 25 BHG, 120 LBBG, 3 Herring Gull, 1 Kingfisher, both Woodpeckers, 120 Skylark, 185 Meadow Pipits, 7 Pied Wagtails, 1 Stonechat, 40 Blackbird, 60 Fieldfare, 110 Redwing, 2 late Chiffchaff, Treecreepe, Jay, 4 Raven, 2 Brambling (1 Marsh Farm hedge), 30+ Goldfinch, 100 Linnets & 30 Reed Bunting. 

I also had a couple of visits to the fields down at Abbots Salford which host Lapwing & Golden Plover. My only birds of note were 18 Lapwing, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Jay & a flock of Redwing.


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