More owl stuff!

Hello

On-going efforts to improve the lot of local owls continues and today a small team of us managed to erect another Barn Owl box at Kelmarsh which had been expertly refurbished by Lynne Barnett. The last of the local Tawny Owl boxes were cleared out today in time for the potential early breeding efforts of this species and another individual was found roosting in one of them.

A garden ringing session at Maidwell provided a nice catch of regular garden birds but also included a Grey Wagtail. A Blackcap, a Pied Wagtail and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were seen but not captured.

The find of the day in the county was undoubtedly a female Ring-necked Duck located at Ravensthorpe Reservoir by patch worker Mark Piper who has methodically birded here and Hollowell Reservoirs for many years. The bird was off the eastern bank and diving regularly off the phragmites reed bed and later towards the causeway. The female Scaup was still at neighbouring Hollowell Reservoir.

A Pintail was on the Summer Leys LNR today and two Siberian Chiffchaffs, a Green Sandpiper, a Cetti's Warbler and ten Ring-necked Parakeets were near Bridge K121 below Cogenhoe at Billing Pits/Ecton SF and a Caspian Gull roosted at Stanford Reservoir. Eleven Smew (eight drakes) were at Eyebrook Reservoir today.

One or two Barn Owl(s) and four Golden Plovers were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning with a Water Rail and a Grey Wagtail in the valley below Brixworth.

Regards

Neil M

Tawny Owl.

A Barn Owl box goes up!
Image courtesy of Lynne
Barnett.

The honeycomb of a bee
nest found in an owl box
earlier in the week. Image
courtesy of Jane Neill.

Grey Wagtail at Maidwell
courtesy of Lynne Barnett.

Mistle Thrush courtesy
of Jim Dunkley.