Birds of a windy and then wet day!

Hello

Eric paid Blatherwycke Lake a visit today and notched up two pairs of noisy Egyptian Geese, a pair of Black Swans and three pairs of Mandarin Ducks. Deene Lake just down the road hosted an excellent six pairs of Shelduck, another pair of Black Swans, four Snipe and a Green Sandpiper.

Nick Parker saw three Goosanders at Ringstead Pits today on Kinewell Lake (this species seems scarce this winter) and Eleanor saw four Bramblings in the Chaffinch flock in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

I undertook the remainder of the WeBS count at Ditchford Pits this morning concentrating on the more central pits. A female Red-crested Pochard was present and other birds included just one Kingfisher, a Snipe, a Cetti's Warbler and two or three Chiffchaffs.

In pretty inclement conditions this afternoon a Great Northern Diver was in the Pintail Bay at Pitsford Reservoir and a smart adult Yellow-legged Gull was also present.

Regards

Neil M

One of the juvenile
Great Northern Divers
at Pitsford Reservoir.

Red-crested Pochard.

Images courtesy of
Robin Gossage.