A great mix of birds!

Hello

A ringing session took place at Stortons Pits today and captures included a Redpoll, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Chiffchaff.

An interesting large gull first seen in the gull roost at Stanford Reservoir yesterday evening was still present this morning before flying off and has been attributed the identification as a Kumlien's Gull, a type of Iceland Gull which may have some biological association with the poorly known Thayer's Gull. The gull wasn't seen in the roost this evening but a second winter Mediterranean Gull was picked out and a Short-eared Owl was hunting at dusk. Fourteen Goosanders were there too.

In the Brampton Valley today there was a Grey Wagtail and a Chiffchaff below Brixworth and two Green Sandpipers and a pair of Stonechats below Hanging Houghton.

The Great Northern Diver popped up at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon, in the short stretch of water between the dam and the Moulton Grange Bay. Presumably still the same bird from last month, this individual has done well to remain undetected for the first eleven days of the new year!

The four Waxwings were again at Priors Hall, Corby this morning and Stanwick Pits hosted an Otter, a male Marsh Harrier, three Ruff, two Dunlin and eight Redshank plus six Cattle Egrets at Roadside Lake this afternoon.

A first year male Scaup was found at Ravensthorpe Reservoir today, generally keeping to the east bank between the causeway car park and main reed-bed. A Short-eared Owl was seen this afternoon near Finedon in the vicinity of Neville's Lodge at about 3.30pm. Three Whooper Swans flew south over Harrington Airfield this afternoon and there was a covey of ten Grey Partridges there too.

Birds on a walk around Sywell Country Park this afternoon amounted to two pairs of Stonechats, a Water Rail, a Cetti's Warbler, two Grey Wagtails, twenty-five Lesser Redpolls and sixty Siskins.

Eyebrook Reservoir hosted five drake Smew and a Slavonian Grebe, generally viewed from the Stoke Dry car park.

Regards

Neil M

Robin.

Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Great Tit.

Reed Buntings.

Cormorant.

Images courtesy of
Tony Stanford.