Migrants from the north and east

Hello

Plenty of thrushes passing through and lingering in the county today with some high numbers noted.

At Stanford Reservoir an estimated 3,500 Redwings moved through the site today plus two-hundred and fifty Fieldfares, forty Skylarks and three Bramblings. The four Red-crested Pochard were still there and other birds seen were a Marsh Harrier, a Golden Plover and a Pintail. The ringers there trapped and ringed a late Willow Warbler which demonstrated characteristics of the north-eastern 'acredula' race. Five Great White Egrets were there first thing before flying off.

Further ringing took place at Harrington Airfield where seventy-eight birds were processed which included eighteen Redwings, nine Song Thrushes (including continental grey birds), a continental-type Blackbird, a Green Woodpecker, eighteen Blackcaps, three Meadow Pipits, four Reed Buntings and three Yellowhammers. A Ring Ouzel was in bushes by Bunker Two at 8.30am but not encountered subsequently, a Crossbill flew over south, a male Brambling was there briefly and other birds present were several Golden Plovers and a Barn Owl. A few Redpolls and Siskins lingered briefly before moving on and Redwings numbered in their hundreds with perhaps only about fifty Fieldfares and with smaller numbers of Chaffinches and Starlings moving south.

A male Ring Ouzel was located at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell together with two Bramblings and a pair of Stonechat with three Stonechats and three Bramblings and a hundred Linnets at 'shrike hedge' in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton. High numbers of Skylarks were on the fields there.

At least sixteen Great White Egrets at Summer Leys LNR must have looked pretty spectacular where there was also a Cattle Egret and a Dunlin. Four to six Common Sandpipers were at Pitsford Reservoir south of the causeway plus a Great White Egret, winter thrushes and small numbers of Redpolls and Siskins.

Two adult Caspian Gulls and a Pintail were at Hollowell Reservoir and a pair of Stonechat were seen at Borough Hill Country Park, Daventry. Five Stonechats and an Otter were at Upton Country Park.

Regards

Neil M

Otter and Stonechats
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Green Woodpecker
courtesy of Jane Neill.

'Continental' style
first year male Blackbird
courtesy of Jane Neill.