Birds of ice and winter sunshine

Hello

Another cold but gloriously sunny day again today!

A bird feed at Harrington Airfield this morning provided an opportunity for a quick walk around and a Woodcock was flushed and two pairs of Grey Partridges were noted.

Some more efforts at colour-ringing Water Rails in the Nene Valley today saw five Water Rails being trapped and processed, four of which were fitted with colour rings.

The female Ring-necked Duck wasn't seen at Stanwick Pits today but may have still been present in one of the ice holes with the waterfowl well packed in! A  Dunlin was present plus five Redpolls and twenty Siskins. A Stonechat was at Earls Barton Quarry Walk today.

Two Cattle Egrets were at Townholme Meadows on the Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve this morning.

An ice-locked Stanford Reservoir provided sightings of a colour-ringed Caspian Gull, a Cackling Goose of unknown origin, a Great White Egret, seventeen Goosanders and a Chiffchaff. At Eyebrook Reservoir there were eleven Smew today which included eight drakes, mostly south of the island.

Waxwings today included two birds at Lambrook Drive, East Hunsbury, Northampton with two (possibly the same) off Granary Road, East Hunsbury later on. A single Waxwing was in Brixworth village feeding on Rowan berries in Highslade and later in trees on The Ashway this afternoon.

At Pitsford Reservoir today the Great Northern Diver was north of the dam and two Bramblings and a pair of Stonechats were around the Old Scaldwell Road Feeding Station. Birds at Hollowell Reservoir included the first winter drake Scaup, the Pink-footed Goose, three Stonechats and a count of four hundred and twenty-six Wigeon.

Other birds reported included a male Blackcap feeding in a garden at East Hunsbury on fatballs and three Goosanders at Abington Park, Northampton.

Regards

Neil M

Caspian Gull.

Grey Heron.

Tawny Owl with a frog.