Sightings at Pensthorpe – 17th April 2024

Bird watching at the Wetland Hide

Take a look at the most recent sightings on the reserve from WVBS’s visit to Pensthorpe on 17th April 2024.

 A bright clear morning with a chilly north westerly wind so we were wondering what would be in store for us.
 The drive and car park areas were fairly quiet and even the Rooks were obvious by their absence.
 Walking along to the Wetland Hide we began to hear the welcoming songs of Blackcap and Chiffchaff.
 Although the water level had dropped the only waders were Oystercatchers, and then Barry spied a Red Kite sitting on a nest in the fir trees opposite the hide.
The migrant highlights here were a Common Tern sitting on one of the posts, a few House Martins and a single Sand Martin migrating along the valley.
Making our way through the woodland to the Old Scrape a Nuthatch and the ringed blue over green Marsh Tit made an appearance at the feeders. There were a lot less Tits at the feeders, so I guess the females are busy sitting on eggs. A male Mandarin was seen on Makins Mere as we joined the wildflower meadow.
 Thankfully the water levels had dropped at the Old Scrape and the islands were exposed. Here eight Avocet were busy amongst the hundreds of Black-headed Gulls. Three Cattle Egrets were seen over towards the distant Osprey Tower and a Great White Egret flew over and into a ditch close to them. Closer to the hide a Mallard with six “tennis ball” size young here kept us amused in and out of the reeds, and a singing Sedge Warbler was heard in the bushes.
 The walk back to the car park with the inevitable counting of Geese and Gulls resulted in nearly 400 Black-headed Gulls which means we may have been double counting if the ones from the Old Scrape had changed location on us!
 The rain held off and although it was a chilly day we saw a nice selection of birds, with a bonus of a lovely Slow Worm (Anguis fragilis),  under one of the corrugated iron shelters.
 Barry & Ian
WVBS Records
Species
Number
Date
Location
Grid Ref
OBS
Notes, e.g. Sex, Age, Activity
Pheasant
2
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Canada Goose
11
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Barnacle Goose
45
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Greylag Goose
51
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Nesting
Mute Swan
5
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Nesting
Egyptian Goose
14
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
P.O.B.
Shelduck
10
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Mandarin Duck
1
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Shoveler
19
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Gadwall
22
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Mallard
40
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
P.O.B.
Teal
10
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Pochard
2
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Tufted Duck
42
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Goldeneye
1
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Stock Dove
3
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Woodpigeon
8
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Collared Dove
1
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Moorhen
2
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Coot
10
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Little Grebe
1
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Great Crested Grebe
3
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Oystercatcher
9
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Avocet
8
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Lapwing
3
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Black-headed Gull
386
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Med Gull
2
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Common Gull
17
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Herring Gull
29
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Lesser Black-backed Gull
9
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Common Tern
1
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Great White Egret
1
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Little Egret
1
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Cattle Egret
3
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Marsh Harrier
1
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Red Kite
2
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Common Buzzard
7
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Jay
2
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Magpie
2
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Jackdaw
27
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Nesting woodland hide
Rook
26
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Coal Tit
1
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Marsh Tit
1
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Blue Tit
11
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
 Nesting
Great Tit
5
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Skylark
1
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Sand Martin
1
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
House Martin
6
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Cettis Warbler
3
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Long Tailed Tit
2
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Chiffchaff
8
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Sedge Warbler
1
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Blackcap
4
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Wren
13
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Nuthatch
1
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Blackbird
10
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Song Thrush
2
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Mistle Thrush
2
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Robin
15
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Dunnock
1
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Pied Wagtail
2
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Chaffinch
6
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Greenfinch
1
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Goldfinch
2
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Yellowhammer
1
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
65
939
17/04/2024
Pensthorpe
TF 9248
ID/BP
Grey Squirrel
1
Muntjac
1
Roe Deer
5
Speckled Wood
2
Orange Tip
4
Green V. White
4
Slow worm (Anguis fragilis)
1

 

Find out more about WVBS: https://www.wvbs.co.uk/

 

Take a look at all Recent Sightings at Pensthorpe: https://pensthorpe.com/things-to-do/nature-reserve/recent-sightings/

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