Iceland - 4th - 8th March 2022

Sunday, 25 March 2018

More Barn Owls, Hawfinches and deer!

Hello

Yesterday (23rd) and Diane Freeman picked up a dead Water Rail at Pitsford Reservoir. In the evening three different Barn Owls were observed along the road between Woodford Halse and Priors Marston.

Today (24th) and a wander around the Polebrook Airfield complex was good with the open fields area attracting displaying Lapwings, two Golden Plovers, two Ravens and the first Chinese Water Deer that I have ever seen in Northamptonshire! A check of the more enclosed scrubby area provided up to seventeen vocal Hawfinches in ash and hawthorn, all east of the private track that leads to the house and old hangers/storage area. Other birds included three Woodcock, a couple of Bramblings, a singing Chiffchaff and a couple of Muntjac.

A subsequent visit to Barnwell Country Park added a pair of Mandarin Duck, another singing Chiffchaff and a couple of Marsh Tits coming to a feeder. We looked for any returning Curlews at Wadenhoe but failed; another drake Mandarin was the only bird of note and a third Chiffchaff was singing near Aldwincle.

Some newly levelled land on the outskirts of Corby attracted good numbers of big gulls and a small herd of Fallow Deer. We saw a Peregrine here too and Blatherwycke Lake attracted a Water Rail, a Kingfisher, a pair of Shelduck, a Chinese Goose and a Black Swan.

Eleanor saw two Ravens at Staverton and this evening we saw single Barn Owls between Lamport and Old and near the villages of Pytchley and Walgrave.

Regards

Neil M


Dead Water Rail,
courtesy of Diane Freeman.

House Sparrow,
courtesy of John Tilly.

Kingfisher,
courtesy of John Tilly.

Daffodils,
Courtesy of Cathy Ryden.

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