Ringing and birding in the fog

Hello

Foggy conditions were not ideal for either ringing or birding today but the show must go on!

A ringing session at Christies Copse in the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Reservoir netted over a hundred birds which were predominately Blue and Great Tits but also three Coal Tits, a Marsh Tit, nine Long-tailed Tits, a Goldcrest, a Treecreeper and three Blackbirds and three Redwings. Up to four Woodcock were present as well as four Bramblings and a couple of Siskins. The fog lifted for a short time to reveal plenty of ice in the Walgrave Bay as well as a Great White Egret. A Barn Owl was seen nearby early this morning and the Wood Sandpiper was again feeding along the shoreline between the causeway and Maytrees Hide.

A busy ringing session at an orchard in Milton Keynes occupied several Northants Ringing Group members with a hefty total of 157 birds of thirteen species. The most notable were two Fieldfares, a very impressive thirty-three Blackbirds, two Song Thrushes, twelve Redwings, five Woodpigeons, six Greenfinches, a Bullfinch, seven Robins, twenty-seven Great Tits, fifty-seven Blue Tits and perhaps not surprisingly with all these birds about a Sparrowhawk too!

The Black Redstart was located at Borough Hill Country Park this afternoon despite the conditions and there was also a pair of Stonechats and plenty of Meadow Pipits.

One Hawfinch was seen in and around Blatherwycke Church today and a flock of eleven Whooper Swans on the adjacent lake were quite a treat! A single Goosander was noted at Abington Park, Northampton today with a Caspian Gull being seen at Stanford Reservoir this afternoon.

Regards

Neil M

Fieldfare courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

Sparrowhawk courtesy of
Kenny Cramer.