Brhh what's happened to the lovely warm weather? A couple of days ago I was out and about in a T Shirt and slapping on the suncream but today it was back to wearing numerous layers, gloves and my big thick coat!!!! For me not the most inspiring weather to go out birding but plenty of birds have been seen so obviously a few hardy folk have been out and about. A pair of Common Scotors were discovered on Hardingstone Lake and a female Ring Necked Duck on Kinewell Lake Ringstead GP. It is always worth checking these smaller bodies of water and not just the larger and more well watched reservoirs and gravel pits.
Summer Leys seems to be the place to be if you want to catch up with waders. Spotted Redshank, Oystercatcher, Ruff, Golden Plovers, Little Ringed Plovers, Dunlin and Black Tailed Godwit all present at the moment. Garganey and Jack Snipe were also still present at Summer Leys and further along the valley the Glossy Ibis at Stanwick.
I visited Harrington Airfield early evening and it was very bleak. Just a handful of Brambling, 2 Grey Partridge and 100 Fieldfares.
John Woollett managed a ringing session at Stortons Gravel Pits yesterday. Of 60 birds processed 46 were retraps and only 14 new birds. Highlights being a returning Chiffchaff, 2 Water Rail and a Sparrowhawk.
The change in the weather has brought the birds back into the garden. 8 Reed Buntings, 4 Yellowhammers and a female Brambling. I was watching a male Blackbird busy collecting food and taking it into the ivy when there was absolute chaos and flurry of feathers as a Sparrowhawk whizzed through. He did take a Blackbird but not the one that I had been watching which was a relief but I still felt sorry for the one he snatched.
Regards Eleanor
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| Common Scoters at Hardingstone Lake/Pit courtesy of Jim Dunkley. |
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