Short Day Count SP54

Hello

Today was the Banbury Ornithological Society Short Day Count in South Northants at SP54. For half the count we were walking around Edgcote and Trafford Bridge which regularly supports an excellent array of species. We were fortunate to find a Kingfisher, a Snipe, a drake Mandarin Duck, a drake Shoveler, a pair of Ravens, displaying Sparrowhawks, two Grey Wagtails, a Chiffchaff, up to thirty Bramblings, a few Siskins and hundreds of Redwings and Fieldfares. A male Brambling was on feeders adjacent to Farthinghoe LNR and several Siskins were flying around the reserve. A flock of over a hundred Golden Plovers were in a grass field near to Thorpe Mandeville. Mammals for the day included sightings of Red Fox, Brown Hare, Muntjac and Fallow Deer.

Not far away and John saw a Merlin at Hinton Airfield plus at least one Brambling and sixteen Golden Plovers.

Elsewhere and the Black Redstart remained at Borough Hill Country Park, Daventry and the Pink-footed Goose was with Greylags in fields between Ravensthorpe village and Ravensthorpe Reservoir causeway for much of the day and still present at 4.15pm. A Jack Snipe was at Hollowell Reservoir.

In the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton there were two Corn Buntings and eight Grey Partridges again by 'shrike hedge' plus plenty of winter thrushes, Skylarks, finches and other buntings. This afternoon there were about twenty Bramblings and a Barn Owl at Harrington Airfield.

At Thrapston Pits today there were six Great White Egrets, a Peregrine and over two hundred Lapwings and Pitsford Reservoir hosted the Wood Sandpiper still, two drake Smew in the Holcot Bay, seven Pintail, a Redshank and four Great White Egrets. A Cattle Egret was in the Nene Valley below Irthlingborough and the roost at Stanwick Pits provided eight Cattle Egrets, ten Great White Egrets and seven Little Egrets. The Dark-bellied Brent Goose was still at Clifford Hill Pits today.

At Stanford Reservoir there were two Egyptian Geese, a roost of ninety-four Great Black-backed Gulls, nine Goosanders, ten Siskins and a Cetti's Warbler.

Regards

Neil M

Brambling courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Common Buzzard courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Common Gull.