Exotic winterers

Hello

Cool and breezy today with a very special red and then orange sunrise.

The Duston Mill Dartford Warbler and the pair of Stonechats materialised today and the warbler provided nice views this afternoon.

Pitsford Reservoir continues to be the venue for a Great Northern Diver which this afternoon was in The Narrows and swimming towards Pintail Bay. At one stage it tried to fly in the strong wind and caught it's wing in the surface water and ungraciously summersaulted upside down in the water! Other birds at this site included a Common Sandpiper on the dam this morning and an adult Yellow-legged Gull off the Sailing Club this afternoon; a Barnacle Goose and a Redshank were north of the causeway this morning.

The wintering Black Redstart was still at the summit compound at Borough Hill Country Park, Daventry this morning and the Whooper Swan was still accompanying Mute Swans in the Tove Valley near Cosgrove.

In excess of thirty Bramblings remained at Harrington Airfield this morning with still a flock of Siskins at Harlestone Heath by the railway line. Half a dozen Bramblings were along the Brampton Valley Way near Draughton Crossing this morning.

Chris Payne's efforts at looking for wildlife using a thermal imaging camera last night provided views of a variety of wildlife near Greens Norton including two Woodcock, a Fox and two Otters!

The three White-fronted Geese were again at Stanford Hall this morning and birds at Stanford Reservoir included two Great White Egrets, a Yellow-legged Gull and four Bramblings.

Regards

Neil M

This winter sees several exotic bird
species wintering in the UK including
this fabulous Belted Kingfisher in Lancashire.
Originating all the way from the USA
this giant of a kingfisher has been seen at a 
number of locations.
 Images courtesy of Jim Dunkley.

Common Buzzard courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Sparrowhawk courtesy
of Robin Gossage.