New Year county birding

Hello

Another cold day and low temperatures anticipated for the week ahead although it should be mostly dry.

A day out away from people and checking poorly-watched areas in the north of the county was the agenda today. First stop was East Carlton Country Park at dawn and a quick walk around provided the usual species with good views of Redwings, drumming Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Nuthatch, Marsh Tit and a Grey Wagtail.

We then checked the Welland Valley from Cottingham to Wakerley where the floods had mostly subsided and many of the birds of last week had moved on. Nevertheless there was a pair of Egyptian Geese, two Little Egrets and a Redpoll below Cottingham. A variety of gulls and Lapwings were in the valley fields between Rockingham and Gretton and there was a small flock of Meadow Pipits and a Grey Wagtail at Gretton Weir.

Further north and more Lapwings, gulls, a few waterfowl and at least four Golden Plovers were between Gretton and Harringworth. Leaving the valley it was time to check on the old Spanhoe/Harringworth Airfield and Wakerley Wood complex which provided views of over twenty Redpolls, thirty Siskins and about twenty-five Crossbills (mostly in larches by the car park at Wakerley Wood), several Marsh Tits, some showy Goldcrests and a pair of Ravens.

Blatherwycke Lake attracted four Egyptian Geese, a Black Swan, twenty-six Mandarin Ducks, two drake Goosanders, two Kingfishers and five Siskins. Deene Lake was good for another Egyptian Goose, nine Shelducks, a Little Egret and a Redpoll.

A concentration of Red Kites at Laxton was hugely impressive with about one hundred and twenty birds present plus another fifty over nearby woodland on the road to Deene. A flock of twenty-two White-fronted Geese flew south west over Laxton at about 3.35pm.

Geoff Douglas witnessed three Whooper Swans flying over his garden at Barton Seagrave this morning and these birds subsequently turned up at Hollowell Reservoir where they remained for a short time. Two Whooper Swans that subsequently flew SW over Pitsford Reservoir may have been different birds. The Great Northern Diver was still at Pitsford Reservoir today and showed very well and a Great White Egret was seen in flight over Pitsford village this afternoon.

In the Nene Valley Thrapston Pits boasted five Great White Egrets, a Ring-necked Parakeet and a pair of Stonechats and Earls Barton Pits provided a Bittern flight view at Quarry Walk and later a Peregrine. Five Cattle Egrets were still between Mary's Lake and Wellingborough near Wollaston Lock.

Stanwick Pits hosted four Cattle Egrets, a Great White Egret, a Pintail and at least twenty-three White-fronted Geese and a Pintail was on the A605 floods at Oundle.

Birds elsewhere included a Jack Snipe at Ravensthorpe Reservoir and three Bramblings in a field opposite the north entrance to Hollowell Reservoir.

Regards

Neil M

Great Northern Diver
at Pitsford Reservoir today
courtesy of Bethan Clyne.

Male Crossbill at 
Wakerley Wood today.