Quality long-stayers

Hello

A cold night last night and tonight with a spectacular full moon but very pleasant during the daytime today with blue skies and plenty of sunshine - the forecast suggests today will be best weather-day of the week!

This morning was spent visiting and topping up feed stations and checking owl boxes for the forthcoming season. Tawny Owls can nest very early so it was a case of ensuring that potential sites were in an appropriate state for them to begin. At least half a dozen Siskins were at Kelmarsh Hall and two Ravens and a Grey Wagtail were at Hanging Houghton village.

This afternoon it was a walk out at Harrington in quite blinding sunshine to feed the birds which included about fifteen Bramblings; a flock of about twenty-two Golden Plovers were on the top fields too. More feed station maintenance after that and Eleanor meandered around the southern edge of the Blueberry Farm complex and the Brampton Valley and back up into Hanging Houghton seeing a Peregrine, two Woodcock, two Barn Owls, a Little Owl, one Corn Bunting, twenty Siskins and twelve Grey Partridges.

Long-staying quality birds in the county included the Black Redstart and a pair of Stonechats at Borough Hill Country Park, Daventry, the Dark-bellied Brent Goose at Clifford Hill Pits and up to three Hawfinches at Blatherwycke with sightings next to the church and by the bridge at the inflow end of the lake.

Nick's four White-fronted Geese from yesterday were still at Thrapston Pits today, moving between the meadows at Wadenhoe and the Titchmarsh reserve. Nearby there were six Chiffchaffs and a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly active at Islip Sewer Works. Five Cattle Egrets flew from their overnight roost at Stanwick Pits this morning and a first winter White-fronted Goose was reported from Sywell Country Park this afternoon.

The very long-staying female Ruddy Shelduck that resides in the west of the county turned up at Hollowell Reservoir today and birds at Pitsford Reservoir included the wintering Wood Sandpiper and Redshank north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir and a Barnacle Goose still with Canadas at the Sailing Club.

A Stonechat remained at Upton Country Park today, the three White-fronted Geese were still at Stanford Hall and birds at the adjacent reservoir included a Great White Egret, a Water Rail, five Goosanders and a Cetti's Warbler.

Regards

Neil M

White-fronted Geese
courtesy of Helen Franklin.

Female Ruddy Shelduck.

Black Redstart.