Hawfinch, Crossbills and Mealy Redpoll.

Hello

Eleanor spent much of the day in the north of the county, beginning with a run around Fineshade Wood followed by some more sedate birding in the prime areas of this excellent block of woodland. A Hawfinch feeding on the ground under the trees in the Caravan Club grounds was probably the best bird of the day and a blast from the past when this species used to regularly visit these trees.

Six Crossbills were showing well by the hide and pond as they grabbed cones and brought them to other trees to break them open. At least another ten Crossbills were in the Westhay Wood section of this site and small numbers elsewhere including singing birds. Other finches included over fifty Siskins and six Redpolls.

At Wakerley Wood there were sixteen Crossbills at the car park and another twenty-five were in woodland next to Spanhoe/Harringworth Airfield. Other finches included two Bramblings, four Redpolls and about fifty Siskins.

Blatherwycke Lake hosted a Pink-footed Goose, fourteen Egyptian Geese, six Mandarin Ducks, two Black Swans, three Little Egrets, a Water Rail and a Green Sandpiper with nearby Deene Lake attracting twelve Shelducks, a Black Swan and a pair of Stonechats.

Waxwings today were still in situ at Priors Hall, Corby (four Birds), Lambrook Drive, East Hunsbury, Northampton (single bird) and Constable Road, Rugby (four birds). A Stonechat was also at Priors Hall.

Yesterday (Monday) and a flock of approximately one hundred and fifty Chaffinches at the Old Walgrave Road near Pitsford Reservoir contained at least one Brambling.

On the 11th January a male Mealy Redpoll was photographed at Stortons Pits whilst in company with thirteen Lesser Redpolls. The bird was on the north side of the complex in birches.

A Great White Egret and small flocks of Siskins were at Daventry Country Park today, two Ravens were at Harrington Airfield and a Woodcock was at New Covert, Kelmarsh with five Roe Deer between Sunderland Wood and Rabbit Hill Spinney on the estate this morning.

Efforts at finding the Great Northern Diver at Pitsford Reservoir failed to locate this elusive bird today. A 'redhead' Smew and a Great White Egret were at Clifford Hill Pits this morning and birds at Stanford Reservoir included a second winter Mediterranean Gull, a Shelduck, seventeen Goosanders, thirty-five Great Black-backed Gulls and a Chiffchaff.

Regards

Neil M

Female Stonechat on ice.

Common Buzzard.

Roe Deer.

Mealy Redpoll courtesy
of Tony Stanford.