Birds of early winter...

Hello

A quick look at Pitsford Reservoir from the Old Scaldwell Road Feeding station this morning provided views of a Ferruginous Duck x Pochard hybrid, eleven Whooper Swans, a couple of Great White Egrets, a dozen each of Pintail and Red-crested Pochard, a Grey Wagtail and a calling but unseen Firecrest in the bushes of the lower feeding station.

Four cracking male Bramblings were on the seed with a large flock of Chaffinches by the barn in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and nearby Brixworth Water Treatment works attracted a Cetti's Warbler, a Chiffchaff, one or two Water Rail(s) and a couple of Grey Wagtails.

Hundreds of winter thrushes were again busy stripping the berries off the hawthorns at Harrington Airfield this afternoon. A Short-eared Owl and two Woodcock flushed between Bunkers 1 and 2 and a Peregrine was in full hunting mode.

Geoff Douglas espied four Ravens cavorting with a Red Kite between Summer Leys and Great Doddington this morning and Nick Parker's venture at Thrapston Pits provided two Great White Egrets (North Lake and Aldwincle), the juvenile Whooper Swan now on Elinor Lake and the long-staying Scaup still on Town Lake.

Regards

Neil M

Peregrine courtesy
of Cathy Ryden.

Brambling courtesy
of John Tilly.

Fieldfare courtesy
of Dave Jackson.