Sunday 29 December 2013

End of year birding

Hello

The start of the day began cold but the sun soon came up and lasted all day.  The first venue for Eleanor was Blueberry Farm with plenty of raptors taking advantage of the splendid weather and included at least ten Common Buzzards including the the usual white bird.  Five Red Kites were also present but the most interesting bird was a 'ringtail' Hen Harrier hunting over the large hillside field at 10.50am.  Other birds included the pair of Stonechat still, plus a Barn Owl.

A subsequent visit to Pitsford Res presented a spectacle of the general public wandering around in all directions, but good birds remained with the Great Northern Diver showing well at the junction of The Narrows and The Basin, five Smew (one drake near the causeway and four 'redheads' in the Holcot Bay), and two drake Goosander and two Great White Egrets north of the causeway.

A ringing session at Sunderland Wood on the Kelmarsh Estate today was sufficient to catch fifty birds. Perhaps the most interesting birds included a male Sparrowhawk, two Blackbirds, six Redwings, two Goldcrests and a Nuthatch.  A couple of Woodcock were flushed from the woodland floor.

Regards

Neil M

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