From ice to gusts

Hello

Well here in middle England the grip of the cold weather finally broke today and now we await strong winds and gusts tomorrow. However the ground was still hard and crunchy this morning as I padded around the Kelmarsh Estate, fixing nest boxes, feeding birds and litter picking. Most of the estate woodlands support Marsh Tits and Nuthatches as well as Treecreepers, and Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers. It was good to hear a few Goldcrests on my wanderings so at least some have made it through the cruel, cold period. These days sadly there are relatively few piping calls from Bullfinches, a far cry from ten years ago when they could be classed as common on the estate.

I flushed a Woodcock again at New Covert and heard singletons of Siskin and Raven at Scotland Wood.

A Waxwing was at Highslade, off The Ashway at Brixworth early morning but seemingly not subsequently, and may be the same individual touring around the village since the Christmas period. A few Rowan berries are still present at the junction of Highslade and The Ashway but it's likely that this individual has another berry crop nearby to satisfy itself with. The two Waxwings at Lambrook Drive, East Hunsbury were also there early morning so it seems that early morning is the best time to see these nomadic foragers! The four Waxwings at Priors Hall, Corby again performed very well today.

News has come through of an Otter having been found caught in a snare near Great Bowden, presumably one of the Market Harborough animals, and the injured animal has been taken into care.

Two Ravens were attracted to carrion at Pitsford Reservoir, two Peregrines were seen over Summer Leys LNR and four Redpolls graced a Grange Park, Northampton garden.

The ice at Stanford Reservoir didn't put off two Caspian Gulls visiting there today (an adult and a first winter) and there was also a Great White Egret and twenty-one Goosanders present. Ten Smew (seven drakes) were present at Eyebrook Reservoir today.

Hollowell Reservoir hosted a first winter drake Scaup still plus the Ruddy Shelduck and a large flock of mixed finches near to the A43 crossroads between Wakerley and Fineshade and opposite the turning for Wakerley Wood included ten Bramblings and a leucistic Linnet. Several Crossbills were again photographed at Fineshade Wood today.

In the Nene Valley there were two Green Sandpipers, two Kingfishers and ten Chiffchaffs at Ecton Sewage Farm and in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton there was a single Green Sandpiper and a Grey Wagtail with a male Merlin, a pair of Stonechats and a flushed Jack Snipe further up the track towards Cottesbrooke in the vicinity of 'shrike hedge'.

Regards

Neil M

Carrion Crow courtesy
of John Tilly.

Green Sandpiper courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Woodcock.