Hello
After such a wet, filthy night it made sense that something should have been brought down.. and an early morning visit provided a flock of five Common Scoter at Pitsford Reservoir north of the causeway. Two of these birds were drakes. Redwings were also passing over in good numbers with smaller numbers of Siskin and Starling. A Common Sandpiper was in the Scaldwell Bay and later there was a Rock Pipit on the causeway. Eleanor had poor views of a mystery raptor flying north over the reservoir that reminded her of a Black Kite but sadly it didn't hang around.
Steve Fisher was out during the early morning too and his haul at Stanwick included an impressive 42 Little Egrets (surely a county record?), two Great White Egrets and four Cattle Egrets (later in the day all six) and 930 Redwings moving over in a SW direction. Later he added two Goosanders and two Redpoll. Just down the road and Chris Green notched up another Great White Egret at Ditchford Pits (Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows section) plus a Pintail and a Kingfisher. Nick Parker confirmed the continued presence of the adult Whooper Swan on Town Lake, Thrapston Pits (I wonder if it is last year's bird returning?).
Harrington Airfield was full of common birds today in very soggy conditions. A male Ring Ouzel showed well near Bunker Two and another bird with it may have been another bird of the same species. A pair of Stonechat were at Bunker Three and vis mig birds included plenty of Starlings, Redwings and fifty Fieldfares.
A ringing session was held in the extreme west of the county today at Glyn Davies Wood which is a Banbury Ornithological Society reserve. It was going fine until the local Bicester and Warden Hill Hunt turned up and rampaged through the reserve with dogs and horses. Not only were they trespassing but they completely trashed two mist nets and the ringers present were fortunate that no birds came to harm. A couple of the hounds remained in the wood with bloodied muzzles and the ringing session was abandoned. Birds caught and successfully processed were made up of four Goldcrests, two Wrens, three Robins, seventeen Blue Tits, two Coal Tits, a Marsh Tit, twenty-two Great Tits, two Nuthatch and two Great Spotted Woodpeckers.
Local ringing sessions, hopefully with the absence of the local hunt, are planned for Pitsford Reservoir on Thursday and at Harrington Airfield at the weekend.
Regards
Neil M
After such a wet, filthy night it made sense that something should have been brought down.. and an early morning visit provided a flock of five Common Scoter at Pitsford Reservoir north of the causeway. Two of these birds were drakes. Redwings were also passing over in good numbers with smaller numbers of Siskin and Starling. A Common Sandpiper was in the Scaldwell Bay and later there was a Rock Pipit on the causeway. Eleanor had poor views of a mystery raptor flying north over the reservoir that reminded her of a Black Kite but sadly it didn't hang around.
Steve Fisher was out during the early morning too and his haul at Stanwick included an impressive 42 Little Egrets (surely a county record?), two Great White Egrets and four Cattle Egrets (later in the day all six) and 930 Redwings moving over in a SW direction. Later he added two Goosanders and two Redpoll. Just down the road and Chris Green notched up another Great White Egret at Ditchford Pits (Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows section) plus a Pintail and a Kingfisher. Nick Parker confirmed the continued presence of the adult Whooper Swan on Town Lake, Thrapston Pits (I wonder if it is last year's bird returning?).
Harrington Airfield was full of common birds today in very soggy conditions. A male Ring Ouzel showed well near Bunker Two and another bird with it may have been another bird of the same species. A pair of Stonechat were at Bunker Three and vis mig birds included plenty of Starlings, Redwings and fifty Fieldfares.
A ringing session was held in the extreme west of the county today at Glyn Davies Wood which is a Banbury Ornithological Society reserve. It was going fine until the local Bicester and Warden Hill Hunt turned up and rampaged through the reserve with dogs and horses. Not only were they trespassing but they completely trashed two mist nets and the ringers present were fortunate that no birds came to harm. A couple of the hounds remained in the wood with bloodied muzzles and the ringing session was abandoned. Birds caught and successfully processed were made up of four Goldcrests, two Wrens, three Robins, seventeen Blue Tits, two Coal Tits, a Marsh Tit, twenty-two Great Tits, two Nuthatch and two Great Spotted Woodpeckers.
Local ringing sessions, hopefully with the absence of the local hunt, are planned for Pitsford Reservoir on Thursday and at Harrington Airfield at the weekend.
Regards
Neil M
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Great White Egret
courtesy of John Tilly.
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Green Woodpecker courtesy
of John Tilly.
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Dunlin courtesy of
Robin Gossage.
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Curlew Sandpiper
courtesy of Robin Gossage.
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