Pits scores in Garganey influx

Garganey

                                                     Garganey

                                                   Reed Bunting

                                             Little Ringed Plover

                                            Northern Wheatear

                                                    Chiffchaff

                                               Northern Wheatear

An excellent week at the pits with four new year ticks taking us to 93. Mark & the Squire recorded a Merlin midweek chasing the Skylarks and the first Wheatear was located on Friday (26/3). Their was an additional male Wheatear undertaking a circular feeding circuit. 

I was very happy with my first Sand Martins of the year on Saturday morning and the extra Wheatear. I had a nice catch up with John C before walking back to the car. As I reached the car, John called saying a drake Garganey was now on the main pit. I quickly headed back where we watched the stunning duck for an extended session. A Barn Swallow came through with a additional group of nine Sand Martin.

Sundays conditions were very cold and windy which made it very difficult to search for new migrants. 

Kittiwake & slow going

                                           Kittiwake(3rd site record)

                                     Nice comparison with Gadwall

                                                    Pergerine

                                            Now thats a look.......

                                                   Meadow Pipit

                                                   Young lambs

                                      Trouble makers are back again

                                                      Kittiwake

                                                     Roe Deer

                                                    Cormorant flock

We all seemed to be on tenderhooks for March to arrive and yet when it did there are actually very few changes. This is the first blog for three weeks as there has been nothing to blog about except a couple of changes this week. 

The pits have had plenty of visits by a number of the team yet the sightings have been limited. Here are the best of the sightings (date in brackets when first seen)

Little Ringed Plover (17/3), 1 Kittiwake (17/3), Ring-necked Parakeet FIRST SITE RECORD (16/3),  2 Brambling, 7 Little Grebe, 20 Cormorant, 7 Mute Swan, 16 Canada Goose, 5 Greylag, 1 Shelduck (not settled), 8 Gadwall, 9 Teal, 180 Mallard, 16 Shoveler, 5 Pochard, 95 Tufted Duck, 1 Goosander, 2 Red Kite, 2 Sparrowhark, 1 Peregrine, 2 Green & GS Woodpecker, 4 Lapwing, 1 Snipe, 40 Meadow Pipit, 2 Grey Wagtail, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Cettis Warbler, 2 Raven, 20 LBB Gull, 5 singing Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap (19/3), 1 Barn Owl, 1 Tawny Owl, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Sand Martin (11/3)  still plenty of Chaffinch & Linnet but the Fieldfare & Redwing flocks have reduced to just a handful.

Hopefully the migration tap will be turned on very soon and we will get the migrants floodng through. The year list now stands at 89 for year.

Year list at pits moves to 82

                                                      Skylark

                                  The formely known as the main spit

                                                     Roe Deer
Our site year list at Salford Priors increased to 82 with the additions of a Tawny Owl (The Squire) & a Great Crested Grebe which was on Kingley Pool on Sunday morning. Other highlights included the second Oystercatcher returning and some amazing close views of the Skylark.

Best counts of the week were as follows:- 1 Shelduck, 5 Teal, 12 Shoveler, 55 Tufted Duck, 8 Pochard, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Oystercatcher, 1 Grey Heron, 15 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 Grey Wagtail, Red Kite, 8 Buzzard,80 Linnet, 40 Chaffinch, 3 Brambling. 

Hopefully our first Sand Martin, Wheatear & Little Ringed Plover will be arriving before the next blog.