Back home!

Hello

Breezy but pleasant weather back in the county today but not really any time for birding as it was all the usual 'back home' chores to attend to!

Eleanor's morning walk down in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton provided plenty of Fieldfares and Redwings and two Bramblings; a Grey Wagtail was at Brixworth Water Treatment Works and the gull roost at Pitsford Reservoir didn't provide anything out of the ordinary.

Yesterday Eric's efforts at Thrapston Pits resulted in a Marsh Harrier plus more common raptors, a couple of Little Egrets, four Cetti's Warblers and a Chiffchaff.

Chris Payne completed a little ringing at Bradden on Sunday with 53 birds from one net in three hours which included Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Goldcrest and Chiffchaff.

Regards

Neil M

Album of images
from the Bradden
ringing session -
Blue Tit, Chiffchaff
and Treecreeper LHS
Long-tailed Tit, Coal
Tit, Goldcrest and
 Nuthatch RHS

Green Woodpecker as caught
and ringed at Stortons Pits
nearly a month ago. Handling
birds provides the opportunity
of seeing aspects not easily seen
in the field, note the barbs on the
end of the woodpecker's tongue.
Presumably this adaption makes it
easier to extract those ants and their
larva from their underground home.

All images courtesy of
Chris Payne.