Lingering winterers

Hello

The singing Blackcap and two Ravens remained at Hanging Houghton today and the Barn Owl and two pairs of Stonechats were in the Brampton Valley below the village. All the Fieldfares in our garden abandoned us as soon as the milder conditions dominated and we are back to just our regular visitors.

A single 'redhead' Smew remained at Ravensthorpe Reservoir today, hiding well against the west bank south of the causeway and the female Scaup was still at Hollowell Reservoir together with a Crossbill and three pairs of Stonechats. A few Siskins were noted at the dam-end of Pitsford Reservoir and the regular adult Yellow-legged Gull was on a buoy there.

Yesterday (Monday) evening and a Great White Egret and a hunting Barn Owl were by the marina at Ringstead Pits. Today (Tuesday) and Stanwick Pits remains good with the Pink-footed Goose, about thirty White-fronted Geese, a Bar-tailed Godwit, three Pintail, four Dunlin and a possible Australian Shoveler all being present! A female Stonechat was on the Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve just down the road and further west the Summer Leys reserve hosted two Great White Egrets, three Pintail, forty Golden Plovers and eleven Snipe.

Elsewhere and Wicksteed Water Meadows proved profitable with a Woodcock, three Jack Snipe and a Stonechat all seen during the WeBS count. Nearby there were three Stonechats in a rough field off Cranford Road, Kettering together with thirty Skylarks and thirty Linnets. At Lings Wood, Northampton a flock of fifteen Redpolls were discovered and there is a report that the Glossy Ibis has been seen again late this afternoon - briefly on Islip Water Meadows which is adjacent to Thrapston Pits...

Regards

Neil M

Barn Owl at Hanging
Houghton courtesy of
Nathan Jones.

Female Blackcaps.

Male Blackcap.

Fieldfare. This image and
the Blackcaps are courtesy
of Laurence Arnold.