Saturday 16 April 2016

A winter welcome for our summer migrants!

Hello

Today started with a non-birding morning but early afternoon took me in to the Brampton Valley with a Green Sandpiper between The Windhover Public House and Boughton Mill riding stables again and a Kingfisher by Brampton Fisheries.

The dam area of Pitsford Reservoir attracted good numbers of hirundines plus a Wheatear and good numbers of wagtails which included fifteen Yellows, a Grey, at least two Whites and about twenty Pieds. A Green Sandpiper was present here too as was the Ruddy Shelduck. Birds noted north of the causeway by other observers included an Osprey, a first year Little Gull, a Yellow-legged Gull, a Little Egret and a Whitethroat. Cathy Ryden paid Hollowell Reservoir a visit and located a Wheatear and two Yellow Wagtails.

Eric Graham and Nick Parker visited Thrapston GP today and between them saw plenty of birds which included a pair each of Oystercatcher, Shelduck and Egyptian Goose, an 'asio owl'
sp, six Yellow Wagtails, a Cuckoo, a showy Nightingale, Swifts, a pair of Siskin and a redpoll sp plus plenty of warblers including Sedge, Reed and Cetti's. These summer migrants are probably not impressed with the cold temperatures and snow of the last 24 hours!

Harrington Airfield hosted two Ring Ouzels today, a showy male by the shooting wall next to the concrete track and a skulking bird by the first bunker. Two Wheatears were quite mobile and a Raven flew over. Please note that ringing operations will be conducted on the old airstrip tomorrow and Monday, which includes the rough strip between the chippings compound and the concrete track and public access is restricted. The concrete track itself and all footpaths are unaffected.

Regards

Neil M



Yellow Wagtail

Pied Wagtail

Cormorant

No comments: