Hello
Another bright and sunny and even warm day today although the outlook for the next week looks much cooler.
Some of the local nest box monitoring schemes are underway as the Blue, Coal and Great Tits are preparing their nests early this year, with even a few pairs producing eggs already. They have a little way to go to catch up with the Long-tailed Tits though which paired off some weeks ago now and many have finished their state of the art des res in the standard of nests! These homes are a collection of feathers, spiders webs, moss and a variety of other fine ingredients woven into an elaborate domed nest generally suspended in a thorny bush.
A brief visit to Pitsford Reservoir to fill up the feeders at the feed station was sufficient to note a second summer Mediterranean Gull flying around north of the causeway, an early Common Sandpiper on the causeway and a Little Owl perched in hedging.
The Great Grey Shrike remains in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton, showing rather well on and off all day. It is currently utilising the hedgerow which has a 'Environmental Headlands' notice (on the LHS travelling along the track from HH to Cottesbrooke) and also the field ditch close to the straw/manure heap also on the LHS travelling away from the Brampton Valley Way. This afternoon a Short-eared Owl flew through the area. On the RHS of the track the wild bird crop is still attracting up to a hundred Yellowhammers and much smaller numbers of Reed Buntings and Tree Sparrows. There is also a collection of Chaffinches on the hard standing just in front of the large barn on the RHS travelling from the Brampton Valley Way, this also being a regular venue for Brambling (but not reported today).
The Cattle Egret showed itself on the Delta Pit at Ditchford Pits again today, but did become obscured in the vegetation in the vicinity of the Cormorant colony.
An Osprey was over the A43 near Blatherwycke Lake today, the lake itself hosting a pair of Black Swans and two pairs of Mandarin Duck. Thrapston Pits yielded three Great White Egrets today including one in breeding plumage, three Pink-footed Geese still and the pair of Oystercatchers. Butterflies were darting around in good numbers and included Orange-tips.
Summer Leys NR is likely to receive regular coverage now as we progress into spring and April tends to be a great month for viewing there. Birds there today included two Great White Egrets, an adult Mediterranean Gull, two Little Ringed Plovers, three Black-tailed Godwits and the drake Garganey was reported too.
Eleanor visited the excellent Kentle Wood today on the outskirts of Daventry, an altogether much quieter site for people than nearby Borough Hill Country Park, and the hill offers fantastic scanning opportunities with views for miles. Two Wheatears were present and an Osprey flew over heading north and two Ravens were present too. Undoubtedly the best bird though was a high-up White Stork that was soaring slowly south over the hill at about 3.45pm - it slowly disappeared into the haze that was a feature of the mid and late afternoon.
Single Ravens were seen at Hanging Houghton and Staverton and birds visiting our small garden at Hanging Houghton included a few each of Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting and a pair of Nuthatch.
Regards
Neil M
Another bright and sunny and even warm day today although the outlook for the next week looks much cooler.
Some of the local nest box monitoring schemes are underway as the Blue, Coal and Great Tits are preparing their nests early this year, with even a few pairs producing eggs already. They have a little way to go to catch up with the Long-tailed Tits though which paired off some weeks ago now and many have finished their state of the art des res in the standard of nests! These homes are a collection of feathers, spiders webs, moss and a variety of other fine ingredients woven into an elaborate domed nest generally suspended in a thorny bush.
A brief visit to Pitsford Reservoir to fill up the feeders at the feed station was sufficient to note a second summer Mediterranean Gull flying around north of the causeway, an early Common Sandpiper on the causeway and a Little Owl perched in hedging.
The Great Grey Shrike remains in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton, showing rather well on and off all day. It is currently utilising the hedgerow which has a 'Environmental Headlands' notice (on the LHS travelling along the track from HH to Cottesbrooke) and also the field ditch close to the straw/manure heap also on the LHS travelling away from the Brampton Valley Way. This afternoon a Short-eared Owl flew through the area. On the RHS of the track the wild bird crop is still attracting up to a hundred Yellowhammers and much smaller numbers of Reed Buntings and Tree Sparrows. There is also a collection of Chaffinches on the hard standing just in front of the large barn on the RHS travelling from the Brampton Valley Way, this also being a regular venue for Brambling (but not reported today).
The Cattle Egret showed itself on the Delta Pit at Ditchford Pits again today, but did become obscured in the vegetation in the vicinity of the Cormorant colony.
An Osprey was over the A43 near Blatherwycke Lake today, the lake itself hosting a pair of Black Swans and two pairs of Mandarin Duck. Thrapston Pits yielded three Great White Egrets today including one in breeding plumage, three Pink-footed Geese still and the pair of Oystercatchers. Butterflies were darting around in good numbers and included Orange-tips.
Summer Leys NR is likely to receive regular coverage now as we progress into spring and April tends to be a great month for viewing there. Birds there today included two Great White Egrets, an adult Mediterranean Gull, two Little Ringed Plovers, three Black-tailed Godwits and the drake Garganey was reported too.
Eleanor visited the excellent Kentle Wood today on the outskirts of Daventry, an altogether much quieter site for people than nearby Borough Hill Country Park, and the hill offers fantastic scanning opportunities with views for miles. Two Wheatears were present and an Osprey flew over heading north and two Ravens were present too. Undoubtedly the best bird though was a high-up White Stork that was soaring slowly south over the hill at about 3.45pm - it slowly disappeared into the haze that was a feature of the mid and late afternoon.
Single Ravens were seen at Hanging Houghton and Staverton and birds visiting our small garden at Hanging Houghton included a few each of Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting and a pair of Nuthatch.
Regards
Neil M
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| White Stork. |
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| Great Crested Grebe courtesy of Cathy Ryden. |
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| Bittern at RSPB Lakenheath courtesy of Cathy Ryden. |
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