Friday 15 February 2019

February sunshine...!

Hello

The stunning weather continues with bright sunshine stimulating plenty of insect activity which included a Brimstone butterfly at Maidwell yesterday. The Hanging Houghton parish Mistle Thrush was singing strongly first thing this morning and there were several singing Skylarks at Harrington Airfield late morning.

Yesterday (Wednesday) and the Great Grey Shrike showed itself a few times between Hanging Houghton and Cottesbrooke with as many as four Corn Buntings being seen and the usual hunting Barn Owl. Late last night another Barn Owl was active between Hanging Houghton and Scaldwell and with possibly the same one near Brixworth too.

Two Great Northern Divers and a drake Red-crested Pochard were visible from the Sailing Club at Pitsford Reservoir yesterday afternoon with a second winter Yellow-legged Gull coming in at the now very small gull roost there a little later. Also yesterday an unspecified number of Crossbills were still present at Irchester Country Park, fifty yards from the first car park. Three Bramblings visited our garden again.

Today (Thursday) and the Hanging Houghton Great Grey Shrike was still present at about 8am as were two Corn Buntings. Of interest, Stuart Baker noted a drake Wood Duck on Shelfleys Lake on the south side of Northampton this morning and a Great Grey Shrike has been reported at the inlet end of Hollowell Reservoir (via Birdguides).

Other birds for today were seen at Thrapston Pits by Eric Graham and amounted to the juvenile Whooper Swan on Town Lake, two Great White Egrets, two Little Egrets, a pair of Goosander, a pair of Oystercatcher and a Peregrine. Kim Taylor located two Great White Egrets at Summer Leys NR today

Regards

Neil M


Barn Owl.

Male Brambling
courtesy of John Tilly.

Common Buzzard.

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