Long distance Black-headed Gull.

Hello

Cold today but nothing much wrong with the weather as we avoided the snow in the region and enjoyed periods of sunshine!

The herd of fifteen Bewick's Swans were still present at Summer Leys LNR at dawn but moved off east at about 7.20am, no doubt heading off in a staged journey back to Russia. A Black-tailed Godwit was also present.

The adult Mediterranean Gull was again in the gull roost at Stanford Reservoir this evening and other birds there today included a Peregrine, a Stonechat, a fly-over Redshank, two Oystercatchers, two Great White Egrets, nine Goosanders, a Cetti's Warbler and seven Lesser Redpolls.

An Avocet and a White-fronted Goose were still at Eyebrook Reservoir again today and three adult Caspian Gulls at Hollowell Reservoir today have kept faithful to this site all winter. Four Stonechats were also present.

At Billing Pits today the drake Scaup was still present off Station Road and at the other end of the Billing Pits/Ecton SF complex two Siberian Chiffchaffs remained by the outflow and Bridge K121 with a supporting cast of thirty Chiffchaffs, eight Grey Wagtails and a Water Rail.

Harrington Airfield remained quiet with just twelve Golden Plovers on the top fields and a Barn Owl was seen briefly at nearby Lamport Hall this afternoon with a Grey Wagtail over Hanging Houghton first thing.

At Blueberry Farm (Maidwell) a large group of angry Jackdaws alerted Eleanor to a raptor in the bottom of a hedge pinning a still-live Jackdaw to the ground! A closer view confirmed a female Sparrowhawk mantling the fighting corvid and on being disturbed the Jackdaw managed to get away but was clearly injured. Interestingly the female Sparrowhawk was sporting a ring on her left leg. A first for the site (on the ground at least) was a pair of Egyptian Geese on a small pond in company with a small flock of Wigeon.

A male Stonechat was at East Fields, Hartwell and two Peregrines were in Market Harborough town centre today.

A colour-ringed Black-headed Gull photographed at Pitsford Reservoir back on 11th December 2022 originated from a Norwegian ringing project with the bird being ringed as an adult on 20th March 2022 at Frognerparken Nedre Dam near Oslo. Presumably it was a breeding bird as it was sighted twice in June just a few kilometres from the ringing site. The distance between the ringing site and Pitsford Reservoir is approximately 1105km with 266 days elapsing between the two records.

Regards

Neil M

Blue Tit. The most commonly-
ringed bird in the UK and in
Northants! Image courtesy
of John Tilly.

Dunnock courtesy of
John Tilly.

The Robin - our national bird!
Image courtesy of John Tilly.

Spring love must be in
the air! A couple of cooing
Collared Doves courtesy of
Robin Gossage.