Birds of the bluster and rain

Hello

Windy and wet so it's perhaps not surprising that there weren't many reported sightings in the county today!

The drake Scaup was again off the dam at Pitsford Reservoir today and two Oystercatchers were seen north of the causeway with the two Barnacle Geese in fields next to the Old Scaldwell Road. A pair of Grey Partridge was the only sighting of note at Harrington Airfield this afternoon in very blustery conditions.

A pair of Blackcaps were again in a Wollaston garden today and there were two Dunlin and a Redshank noted at Summer Leys LNR this evening.

Birds recorded audibly over Scaldwell last night included Teal, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Black-headed Gull, Rook, Fieldfare and Redwing.

Three recently received ringing recoveries are as follows:-

1. A young male Blackbird was ringed at Greens Norton on 21st September 2012 and found freshly dead in the village on 24th February this year - an eight and half year old Blackbird is a very good age (3078 days between the two dates);

2. A young Reed Bunting was ringed at Linford Lakes Nature Reserve on 22nd September 2020 and caught again at an undisclosed site in Hertfordshire on 28th February this year, this bird moving 57km in a south-easterly direction;

3. A first year female Goldfinch was ringed at Hanging Houghton on 27th November 2018 and was found recently dead in Naseby village this month, 832 days after apparently colliding with a glass greenhouse.

Regards

Neil M

Male Blackbird courtesy
of John Tilly.

Reed Bunting courtesy 
of Robin Gossage.

Goldfinch courtesy
of John Tilly.