Wednesday 28 January 2015

Back home to the cold...

Hello

Neil H and I are just back from a week's birding in The Gambia which was very good, and my thanks to Eleanor for keeping the blog updated whilst we dodged those awful African sun rays! And yes it does seem a touch cold here after some very warm temperatures in near tropical conditions.

Today I noted a Nordic Jackdaw or at least a bird showing those features in the garden here at Hanging Houghton this morning. It was contained within the local Jackdaw flock and may be the same individual that has appeared in the village now for it's third winter.

John Finlayson maintains a wild bird feeding station at Grafton Park Wood in the north of the county. Like many of us he enjoys assisting birds during the cold hunger months, February to April probably being the critical months when there is very little natural food out there for our avian neighbours to exploit. Please see John's Nuthatch pictures below, an individual clearly benefiting from regular hand-outs.

The road causeway that passes over Pitsford Reservoir between Brixworth and Holcot is a favoured location for local bird photographers. Lapwings often loaf along the causeway parapets and water margins and Simon Hales has snapped the below picture for our benefit.

Regards

Neil M





Nuthatch
Courtesy of John Finlayson

Lapwing
Simon Hales

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