How cold the wind doth blow

Hello

Early morning birding ensured that Steve Fisher saw two Sandwich Terns head east through Stanwick Pits first thing! More early morning birding and vis-miging at Harrington Airfield by Jacob ensured a count of at least thirty Bramblings which came down into the bushes by the bunkers and then flew out again. This afternoon there were still several Bramblings present with other finches, Tree Sparrows and buntings plus a female Wheatear and eighteen Golden Plovers.

Birding at Pitsford Reservoir today coincided with the beginning of the fly-fishing season so many of the birds normally south of the causeway were later found in the relative calm of the reserve north of the causeway. The drake Scaup and hybrid female were initially off the dam and the Sailing Club in the morning but by late afternoon were with displaced Tufted Ducks near to Lagoon Hide north of the causeway. Two Yellow-legged Gulls were present, a single Great White Egret was seen and singles of Curlew and an unidentified 'Commic' Tern were seen heading north over the reservoir. Other birds included thirty Fieldfares, three Oystercatchers, two Snipe, sixteen Swallows and about a dozen Sand Martins.

Blackcaps seem to be arriving in numbers now - I heard singles singing at four different places today.

An Osprey was seen over Lower Barnwell Lock flood at 4.35pm heading towards Oundle and another Osprey showed this afternoon at Hollowell Reservoir.

Thrapston Pits yielded an adult Little Gull on Town Lake for much of the day with a supporting cast of two Common Terns, all three common hirundines, a fly-over Curlew and a Goosander. Summer Leys LNR recorded a Ringed Plover and a Common Tern and an evening patrol of Stanwick Pits provided four Little Ringed Plovers and two Yellow Wagtails. There were in excess of twenty Swallows at Wicksteed Park this afternoon.

Ravens included two on roadkill near Chipping Warden and a single at Moulton. Clifford Hill Pits was the place to see the first spring Garganey with two drakes and two ducks this morning - other birds included a Yellow Wagtail, a Swallow, a Ringed Plover, two Little Ringed Plovers and a Redshank.

A group of interesting big gulls on flood water alongside the A5 by DIRFT 3 near Lilbourne included a first winter Caspian Gull, a probable Caspian x Herring Gull hybrid and two Yellow-legged Gulls.

A Black Redstart chose late this evening to call and subsequently show itself in our cul-de-sac at The Croft in Hanging Houghton - perhaps just reward for popping outside after dinner in the cool wind to top up the garden feeders for the birds in the morning!

Regards

Neil M

Part of the Harrington
Brambling flock courtesy
of Jacob Spinks - you might
need a magnifying glass!

Reed Bunting at
Hanging Houghton
courtesy of Nathan Jones.

Buck Roe Deer at
Hanging Houghton
courtesy of Nathan Jones.