Hello
The Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton produced birds again today in very hostile conditions, the best being a pair of Grey Partridge, a male Stonechat, six Snipe, a Woodcock and a Barn Owl. A Woodcock was flushed at Harrington Airfield and Brixworth Water Treatment Works attracted a Snipe and a Grey Wagtail plus a flock of Meadow Pipits working the filter beds. The resident pair of Raven were at Kelmarsh and a Little Owl was seen at Old.
It seems that Fieldfares were the stars of the show today with good numbers being reported in gardens all over the county. With little available food and having been pushed out of even more inhospitable places, these exhausted and hungry birds are roaming around for any remaining berries and apples. Fieldfares don't usually eat much in the way of mixed seed and standard bird food but these desperate birds are consuming such fare. We had over 25 in our garden today plus several Redwings, a Mistle Thrush etc and their favourite food is apples and dried mealworms. They are also eating grated cheese, fat pellets, mixed seed and soaked dried fruit is another option. Chris Payne had forty Fieldfares in his garden and Jim Dunkley (at Sywell), Nick Wood (Olney), Jacob Spinks (Scaldwell) and Helen Franklin (Priors Marston) all report Fieldfare antics in their gardens.
Jacob's garden also attracted a Moorhen, a probing Woodcock, nine Redpolls, Redwings, Mistle Thrush and a male Blackcap...not bad for garden birding!
The only birds of note at Pitsford Reservoir today were a second year Caspian Gull and a solitary, hungry and displaced Dunlin.
Regards
Neil M
The Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton produced birds again today in very hostile conditions, the best being a pair of Grey Partridge, a male Stonechat, six Snipe, a Woodcock and a Barn Owl. A Woodcock was flushed at Harrington Airfield and Brixworth Water Treatment Works attracted a Snipe and a Grey Wagtail plus a flock of Meadow Pipits working the filter beds. The resident pair of Raven were at Kelmarsh and a Little Owl was seen at Old.
It seems that Fieldfares were the stars of the show today with good numbers being reported in gardens all over the county. With little available food and having been pushed out of even more inhospitable places, these exhausted and hungry birds are roaming around for any remaining berries and apples. Fieldfares don't usually eat much in the way of mixed seed and standard bird food but these desperate birds are consuming such fare. We had over 25 in our garden today plus several Redwings, a Mistle Thrush etc and their favourite food is apples and dried mealworms. They are also eating grated cheese, fat pellets, mixed seed and soaked dried fruit is another option. Chris Payne had forty Fieldfares in his garden and Jim Dunkley (at Sywell), Nick Wood (Olney), Jacob Spinks (Scaldwell) and Helen Franklin (Priors Marston) all report Fieldfare antics in their gardens.
Jacob's garden also attracted a Moorhen, a probing Woodcock, nine Redpolls, Redwings, Mistle Thrush and a male Blackcap...not bad for garden birding!
The only birds of note at Pitsford Reservoir today were a second year Caspian Gull and a solitary, hungry and displaced Dunlin.
Regards
Neil M
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| This aggressive Fieldfare kept all other birds at bay from the apples on offer, including a visiting Blackcap. Courtesy of Jim Dunkley from his Sywell garden. |
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| Fieldfares at Greens Norton today, courtesy of Chris Payne. |
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| Dunlin at Pitsford Reservoir today, courtesy of Bethan Clyne. |
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| Fieldfare at Scaldwell today, courtesy of Jacob Spinks. |
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| Caspian Gull at Pitsford Reservoir today, courtesy of Bethan Clyne/Jacob Spinks. |
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| Woodcock at Scaldwell today, courtesy of Jacob Spinks. |
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