Mid November birding

Hello

Birds at Stanford Reservoir today included a Great White Egret, three Water Rails, a Cetti's Warbler and two Chiffchaffs. Pitsford Reservoir seemed quiet but there was a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull, a Grey Wagtail and a Redpoll in the dam area this afternoon.

At Hollowell Reservoir Mark found a sick-looking first winter Kittiwake, perhaps a victim of the autumn storms. There was also a Caspian Gull and four Stonechats and nearby at Ravensthorpe Reservoir a/the Pink-footed Goose and a female Mandarin Duck were present.

It's still visible migration season and at Harrington Airfield there was a male Merlin this morning plus a Woodcock, six Redpolls, at least two Bramblings, a few Siskins and hundreds of winter thrushes in the bushes. Overflying flocks of Starlings and Woodpigeons had already slowed by 9am. Several Siskins were in Scotland Wood on the Kelmarsh Estate.

Over at Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows the Glossy Ibis was still present and viewable from the churchyard at St Peter's in Irthlingborough and a Cattle Egret was seen there too. A first winter Caspian Gull was seen at Daventry Country Park today, a pair of Stonechats were visible from the footpath between Hanging Houghton and Scaldwell villages and another pair were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton near the large barn, with a Woodcock flushed up nearby.

A Marsh Harrier was photographed at Summer Leys LNR today and other birds there included a Great White Egret and in excess of two hundred Golden Plovers.

Regards

Neil M

Goldfinch.

Lesser Black-backed Gull
and Black-headed Gulls.

Golden Plovers and Lapwings.

All images courtesy of Tony Stanford
from Summer Leys LNR today.