Pitsford Water (1 Viewer)

[Bananafishbones]

Stopped on the causeway at Pitsford this morning 08.30am - 09.00am on my back to Cheshire:

Cracking Yellow Legged Gull, 5 Goldeneye

Does nobody post sightings from here... its a cracking piece of water, I think it has 6 or 7 hides.

Would be intresting to see if a regular watcher of the area could carry on with this thread, would love to see if someone could just confirm the YLG.

Dave

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Not many folks from Northants seem to post on BirdForum, for some reason. I spent much of my youth loitering in the hides at Pitsford and still get back there from time to time nowadays. A few weeks ago I saw a Great White Egret and seven Smew from the causeway.

 

[Bananafishbones]

Not many folks from Northants seem to post on BirdForum, for some reason. I spent much of my youth loitering in the hides at Pitsford and still get back there from time to time nowadays. A few weeks ago I saw a Great White Egret and seven Smew from the causeway.

Hi Andrew
I got more than a few year birds this weekend at Pitsford but Smew would have been a lifer :-C. I guess someone must bird it regularly and could come up with some crackers... as we have done already recently :t:

Lets hope someone catches this thread and keeps it alive.... I can get down there pretty easily and stay with family who are very close by at Moulton.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

You might want to check the following for info:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/northantsbirds/
And join the Northants birding Yahoo group:
http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/birdingnorthants/
Pitsford is watched fairly regularly I think.

I went to school in Moulton!

 

[Bananafishbones]

Cheers for the links Andrew

I notice that 2 YLG (amongst other scarce gulls)were reported at Pitsford on 29th Jan, so that seems to tally up with my sighting this morning. Very pleased, my first in the UK

Dave

 

[Reader]

I went to Pitsford reservoir on Thursday (29/12) but try as I might I couldn't find anyone that knew where Catwalk Bay was. Does anyone know how to get there please?

John

 

[Brian Stretch]

I went to Pitsford reservoir on Thursday (29/12) but try as I might I couldn't find anyone that knew where Catwalk Bay was. Does anyone know how to get there please?

John

From memory, I think this is Catwalk Bay.

Brian
___________
Birding Today

 

[Reader]

Hi Brian

You are right. I found out too late on Monday When I was already at Hanging Houghton having been at Pitsford earlier in the day..

At Pitsford reservoir earlier not one birder knew where it was, and that included birders I spoke to at Summer Leys earlier in the day as well.

John

From memory, I think this is Catwalk Bay.

Brian
___________
Birding Today

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Hi Brian

You are right. I found out too late on Monday When I was already at Hanging Houghton having been at Pitsford earlier in the day..

At Pitsford reservoir earlier not one birder knew where it was, and that included birders I spoke to at Summer Leys earlier in the day as well.

John

I suppose 'Catwalk Bay' isn't an official name for it, although I know it's the name used by many local birders (though maybe just the old timers!). Birders quite often have names for places that not many other people seem to know. My old patch in Northants is Clifford Hill Gravel Pits. I sort of suspect that no one other than birders uses that name for these lakes, and the 'Clifford Hill' that they're named after is actually quite far from where the best lakes for birds now are.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I suppose 'Catwalk Bay' isn't an official name for it, although I know it's the name used by many local birders (though maybe just the old timers!). Birders quite often have names for places that not many other people seem to know. My old patch in Northants is Clifford Hill Gravel Pits. I sort of suspect that no one other than birders uses that name for these lakes, and the 'Clifford Hill' that they're named after is actually quite far from where the best lakes for birds now are.

Just to add to the above, Clifford Hill Gravel Pits should officially be called 'Northamptonshire Washlands' according to the following:
http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/301097-..._source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=News
This is all part of the 'Upper Nene Valley' apparently. They'd better be pronouncing 'Nene' the right way though.

 

[wolfbirder]

Great views of large amounts of wildfowl from pitsford res today, including a pair of smew.

This was my first visit here, hadnt realised how good views were from the causeway, and just how good it is in winter.

 

[redeyedvideo]

Would be intresting to see if a regular watcher of the area could carry on with this thread, would love to see if someone could just confirm the YLG.

Dave

Hi Dave, apologies for taking almost a year to reply, just noticed this thread! Not only can I confirm your YLG i.d. but I can give you photos of the exact same bird as you saw. This big beastie has been around for a couple of years now usually around the causeway as these pics show. There's a resident Little Egret in Moulton Grange Bay which is becoming immune to passers by and affords good photographic opportunities at close range if anyone's interested.

 

[redeyedvideo]

Just to add to the above, Clifford Hill Gravel Pits should officially be called 'Northamptonshire Washlands' according to the following:
http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/301097-..._source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=News
This is all part of the 'Upper Nene Valley' apparently. They'd better be pronouncing 'Nene' the right way though.

That's interesting Andrew, I haven't seen Steve Holliday for ages. I showed him the Pink-backed Pelican at Pitsford about 20 years ago! So CHGP is no longer, I wonder if the shooting will continue there? I'm guessing it will along with the fishing, legal and otherwise.

 

[Bananafishbones]

Ah the thread is somewhat revived. It is a good stretch of water and certainly worthy of regular updates. As an update I did get my Smew (Redhead) on Pitsford in Dec!

Great images Dave.

 

[Daz001]

I was thinking of going to Pitsford Water. My best mate lived there and I didn't know about it. Anyone know about the Kingfishers there? I remember seeing Kingfishers as a Kid near Brackley, but that whole area has probably been destroyed. I was reading there is a hide for them, but you need to pay?