Napton Reservoir

With news of a Bearded Tit still present at Napton Reservoir, this was to be my destination, arriving at 0730 and spending five hours on site. Taking up position overlooking the reed beds, it was over two hours before the distinctive "pinging" call was heard and the Bearded Tit was seen briefly in flight. This bird was to prove very elusive, but its call and brief flights continued until about 1100, after which no further sightings occured. This Bearded Tit was my first in Warwickshire for over forty years having seen two birds at Brandon Marsh, on the farm pools.

While waiting, a Cettis Warbler called and flitted through the reeds, a Kingfisher commuted across the water, Water Rail scurried through the reed bases and three Snipe enjoyed the mud. The wildfowl were made up of Tufted Duck, Gadwall, two Shoveler, Wigeon, Teal and Pochard. Overhead, a steady migration of Fieldfare, Redwing, Skylark and Meadow Pipit occured.

A very pleasant morning was had, in the company of Dave H and Mark P, before the clouds took over and heavy rain started to fall. Not a lot of photo opportunities, so my time was taken studying a very obliging Mute Swan, with a female Pochard in a support role.


Pochard

Mute Swan

(More Images are located on my website - see link opposite)

Todays Sightings:

Jackdaw; Pheasant; Mallard; Black Headed Gull; Great Tit; Chaffinch; Coot; Dabchick; Mute Swan; Great Crested Grebe; Carrion Crow; Wood Pigeon; Tufted Duck; Wigeon; Wren; Robin; Moorhen; Pochard; Cettis Warbler; Shoveler; Green Woodpecker; Snipe; Redwing; Grey Heron; Fieldfare; Mistle Thrush; Blackbird; Dunnock; Blue Tit; Kingfisher; Teal; Starling; Sparrowhawk; Skylark; Chiffchaff; Long Tailed Tit; Common Gull; Water Rail; LBB Gull; Linnet; Gadwall; Bearded Tit; Goldfinch; Green Woodpecker; Meadow Pipit; Lapwing; Reed Bunting; Great Spotted Woodpecker; Magpie.