Glossy Ibis

Hello 

With a couple of brief views over the last few days, the favoured feeding area for the Glossy Ibis was successfully identified and this bird was watched on and off during the day at Islip Meadows alongside Thrapston Pits. This species has been seen quite a few times in the county during the last decade but has been notoriously difficult to catch up with as all the previous individuals haven't stayed long. Feeding on the saturated and close-cropped meadow the ibis was pulling out lobworms with great gusto!

Other birds there included two drake Goosanders on the river, a few Golden Plovers, three Shelducks and a Chiffchaff and a Grey Wagtail were at Islip Treatment Works.

Elsewhere and a Peregrine was in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton where one of the pair of Stonechats was visible and the village itself continued to host a singing Blackcap and a pair of Ravens.  Another Peregrine was seen again at St Mary's Church, Higham Ferrers and Stanwick Pits continued to nurture thirty-three White-fronted Geese, the Pink-footed Goose, the Bar-tailed Godwit, three Pintail and four Dunlin.

Two Pink-footed Geese were a new find in the Nene Valley east of Ringstead Pits near Woodford Mill. The paltry gull roost at Pitsford Reservoir included the regular adult Yellow-legged Gull with a singing Chiffchaff in waterside bushes. Birds at Harrington Airfield included at least two Bramblings and thirty-plus Golden Plovers.

With relatively high temperatures forecast and a southerly weather flow from North Africa, the conditions seem good for some very early summer migrants and early nesting attempts by our resident birds!

Neil Hasdell has been busy again and we have now added three more maps to the Birdwatching Sites Map Tab for Boddington Reservoir, Sywell Country Park and the Fermyn Wood complex.

Regards

Neil M

Glossy Ibis at Islip
Meadows courtesy
of Bob Bullock.

Kingfisher courtesy of
Robin Gossage.