Bewick's Swans.

Hello

A cold day and with a little rain, particularly this afternoon and with a colder night ahead and a taste of winter tomorrow.

The garden birds seemed to sense this and we had at least seven Pied Wagtails and five Reed Buntings feeding on the back lawn this afternoon together with plenty of more common birds.

Early birding at Stanwick Pits today provided nine Great White Egrets and fifteen Goosanders and birds at Hollowell Reservoir included an adult Caspian Gull, eight Common Snipe and four Stonechats. Nearby Ravensthorpe Reservoir still hosted the female Ring-necked Duck and female Scaup, both south of the causeway.

A Pink-footed Goose was still at Wicksteed Park this morning, a Woodcock was at the Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve but the birds of the day were the arrival of Bewick's Swans on the Summer Leys LNR this afternoon. Initially three were seen but before 4.30pm this number had shot up to fifteen birds which appeared to roost at dusk. It will be interesting to see if the regular winter flock at Slimbridge, Gloucestershire has reduced as it is assumed that the Summer Leys birds probably originate from there.

A Water Rail was showing nicely at Market Harborough along the River Welland today and birds at Stanford Reservoir included an adult Mediterranean Gull in the roost, a Stonechat, two Great White Egrets and ten Goosanders. Two Avocets were at Eyebrook Reservoir this morning and a White-fronted Goose was seen there too.

Regards

Neil M

Bewick's Swans at Summer Leys
LNR today courtesy of Jim Dunkley.