Similar story at the pits

Testing flight shots on camera

 

First cygnets

Thundering Ditch Cuckoo

Feckenham Jackdaw

Swift over main pit

Common Blue

Thundering Ditch

Oystercatchers

A pretty quiet week at the pits. There have been plenty of visits between us all. Mark observed the Yellow Wagtails which was a nice sighting as they have not been seen often with the change in habitat. Below are Jon's full counts from Sunday which is pretty consistent with most days.

8 pairs of Little Grebe, 1 Little Egret, 2 Grey Herons, 10 Mute Swan (including one nest and one brood), 54 Greylags, 79 Canada Geese (plus one brood), 13 Gadwall, 105 Mallard (plus 7 broods), 93 Tufted Duck (same as my last count on March 8th!), 1 Red Kite, 1 Sparrowhawk, 10 Buzzards, pair of Oystercatchers, 2 pairs of Little Ringed Plovers, pair of LBB Gulls, 4 (two males and two females) Cuckoos, 250 Swifts, 50 House Martin, 20 Sand Martin, two Green Woodpecker territories in area, male Wheatear , 1 Raven, 1 white-winged crow (seems to have moved up from the village. Counts of territory singing birds included 4 Song Thrush, 1 Mistle Thrush, 2 Sedge Warbler, 35-40 Reed Warbler, 8 Common Whitethroat (no Lessers), 11 Blackcap, 5 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler, 3 Goldcrest and 12 Reed Bunting.

I'm trying to mix up my days at the pits with other local spots. I've visited Feckenham a couple of times a week and today I recorded yet another Cuckoo at Thundering Ditch.