Roundup

 Another busy weekend for me competing in agility with Jaeger and Rouzel and again rather successfully.  This has meant little time for birding.                                                          On Thursday (15th) I  popped to Harrington Airfield first thing before the rest of the day got swallowed up with jobs.  It was rather quiet with only 2 Common Redstarts located. But whilst scanning across the airfield I picked up a Ringtail Hen Harrier flying across the fields before it disappeared towards the Brampton Valley Way. Several small flocks of Golden Plovers flew through.                                                                                                             On Saturday morning I was up early as needed to get to the competition.  There had been a ground frost and I walked the dogs guided by the light of the moon and stars. At 05.30hrs a Redwing flew over calling,  a sign to me that Autumn is truly here.                        No further birding for me until this evening when I took the dogs out to relax from their busy weekend.  I walked to Blueberry and all the hedgerows seemed eerily quiet so I didn't loiter. I took a short cut back and ended up at "shrike" hedge which was very busy with birds,  a gorgeous pair of Stonechat,  4 Whinchats,  Northern Wheatear and a Common Redstart.

A few birds around in the county over the weekend.  Wood Sandpiper,  Greenshanks, Ringed Plovers,  Pintail,  Great White Egrets and Stonechats at Pitsford Reservoir.  Cattle Egrets at Stanford Reservoir and Thrapston GP.  Pink Footed Goose at Stanwick GP and Ospreys through Thrapston GP and Stanford Reservoir.                                                           Interestingly at the end of last week the first winter male Ferruginous Duck was reported again at Daventry Country Park.  I believe that it can be very elusive which may explain why it hasn't been reported for a while,  so if you are over in that area it is worth spending time looking for this bird.

Regards Eleanor