Thursday 31 October 2019

Owl boxes

Hello

It was cold first thing with a frost and bright horizon at dawn but by this evening the temperature had risen considerably which generally means there is rain and wind around the corner!

An hour's stomp around Harrington Airfield first thing this morning provided views of a female Merlin, several Bramblings and migrant flocks of Woodpigeons, Starlings, Redwings and Fieldfares. Meadow Pipits and 'alba' wagtails continue to move in smaller numbers now and a few Siskins went SW. Neil Underwood later had a Peregrine here.

Today was earmarked for Tawny Owl box erection and three of us spent the latter part of the morning into lunchtime on the Kelmarsh Estate where we put up three new boxes (as constructed by Chris Payne) in three different woodlands. Fingers crossed for next year!

Eleanor's wander around Blueberry Farm and the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton for a good part of the afternoon was pretty uneventful but there are still two pairs of Stonechats remaining and small numbers of Bramblings. A Brambling again visited our garden today and a Raven was nearby.

At Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon an adult Mediterranean Gull was on the Sailing Club pontoon, there was a third winter Yellow-legged Gull and a Rock Pipit seemed to fly away to the south from the dam on the approach of dusk. Other birds included a Kingfisher and at least one Grey Wagtail.

A Marsh Harrier showed several times at Summer Leys today.

Regards

Neil M


Tawny Owl.

We hope they like
their new homes!
Image courtesy
of Helen Franklin.



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