Friday 18 November 2016

North of the county

Hello

An excursion today to some of our old haunts in the north of the county in cold but sunny conditions started with a visit to East Carlton Country Park and surround. Common woodland birds were present as usual and included a Brambling and several Siskins. We moved on to the Welland Valley and located a Little Egret near Cottingham and a flock of 370 Lapwings about a mile from Rockingham village, a large flock by modern day standards.

Wakerley Woods was next and a good walk around provided views of a Woodcock, several redpoll sp and several Siskins and two Bramblings. Several fruiting Service Trees in the car park were attracting plenty of birds including Bullfinches, Redwings and Blackbirds.

A short drive across the A43 and we were at Fineshade Woods which yielded several redpoll including three confirmed Lessers, several Siskins and two Ravens. We fed the Red Kites and moved on to Blatherwycke Lake which hosted good numbers of wildfowl, the most noisy being a staggering flock of about 740 Greylag Geese - definitely the biggest flock I have ever seen in the county (with another 70 just down the road at Deene Lake)! The Mandarin Duck flock was at least 64 birds strong and two Black Swans and two Chinese Geese and a Little Egret added even more exotica.

Deene Lake birds were made up of two Little Egrets, a drake Goosander, a Green Sandpiper, eight Snipe and a couple of Siskins and a Kingfisher.

We finished at Fermyn Wood Country Park watching over birds coming in to roost in the thorn bushes but didn't witness anything out of the ordinary.

Cathy Ryden again visited Ravensthorpe Reservoir this afternoon and saw two or three Otters and a Great White Egret as visible from the causeway.

Regards

Neil M


Goldcrest at
Wakerley Wood

Red Kite
Fineshade Wood

Coal Tit
Fineshade Wood

Great Tit
Fineshade Wood

Blue Tit
Fineshade Wood

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