Birds of valley, reservoir and woodland

Hello

At Ravensthorpe Reservoir today the Red-crested Pochard was still on the settling pools below the dam with the Pink-footed Goose again in a field west of the causeway, and other birds included three Great White Egrets and ten Siskins. Nearby at Hollowell Reservoir the best of the birds included a Jack Snipe, an adult Caspian Gull, two Stonechats and a Siskin.

At Pitsford Reservoir today the Great Northern Diver was still at large and lurking between the Pintail Bay and the Narrows. Birds at Stanford Reservoir included an adult Mediterranean Gull in the roost, a Curlew over, two Oystercatchers, a Great White Egret, two Goosanders, a hundred Fieldfares and six Bramblings. A Pink-footed Goose, a Great White Egret and a Shelduck were at nearby Stanford Hall.

At Stanwick Pits the Glossy Ibis was still near North Lake late this afternoon and five Cattle Egrets were still present too but unfortunately the female Ring-necked Duck was seemingly absent from Heronry Lake at Thrapston Pits this afternoon.

A few each of Siskin, Lesser Redpoll and Reed Bunting plus a female Blackcap were in a garden on the outskirts of Northampton today and birds in the Harlestone Heath area included two Crossbills and twenty Siskins around the Garden Centre. Two Grey Wagtails were on the stream by the railway line, two Ravens flew over and small flocks of Siskins were mobile throughout the complex with a flock of over sixty by the railway line.

Currently we have about four each of Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting coming to the garden and a pair of Grey Partridge were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this afternoon.

Regards

Neil M

The Thrapston Pits
Ring-necked Duck
courtesy of Bob Bullock.

Yellowhammer
courtesy of Robin
Gossage.

Great Black-backed Gull
courtesy of Robin Gossage.