Friday 17 February 2017

Mild Friday

Hello

Some ringing at the Old Scaldwell Road Feeding Station at Pitsford Reservoir provided 70 captures made up of 4 Coots, 6 Long-tailed Tits, 5 Great Tits, 3 Blue Tits, 10 Tree Sparrows, 10 Reed Buntings, a Robin, 4 Chaffinches, 4 Goldfinches, 14 Yellowhammers, a Greenfinch and 8 Dunnocks.

Birds seen on-site included both the Slavonian and Red-necked Grebes, the White-fronted Goose, 4 Pintail, a Red-crested Pochard and 74 Common Snipe. A flock of eight geese flying over this morning were identified as Pink-footed.

Lyn and John Hunt caught up with many of the better birds in the county today including the large flock of Waxwings currently in Wootton. They also found a Short-eared Owl at Earls Barton Gravel Pits, alongside the flooded pit behind Mary's Lake.

Redpolls seem to be scarce this winter and Jacob had one at Scaldwell village today and we are fortunate to have at least seven Reed Buntings coming to our garden at Hanging Houghton. The pair of Stonechat were still present today below the village in the Brampton Valley.

A nestling Pied Wagtail which was ringed at Pitsford Reservoir on 10th May 2016 was sadly taken by a cat at Bradville, Milton Keynes on 13th Feb this year. During it's short life this young bird had clearly translocated 31km further to the south.

Regards

Neil M


Lamport Hall.

Adult male Sparrowhawk. First caught and ringed
in November 2014 (when assessed to have been hatched
 in 2013), he was recaptured at Hanging Houghton
 on 9th January 2016 and again today.

Sunrise at Guilsborough.

First year male Blackbird.

Male Siskin.

Above three images courtesy
of Cathy Ryden.

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