Songsters, amphibians, Peregrines and Starlings

Hello

The mild temperatures of the last few days and gentle weather conditions has stimulated much bird song with the thrush family perhaps being the most obvious responders with Blackbirds, and particularly Song Thrushes and Mistle Thrushes singing strenuously. Last night and this morning our garden pond was hosting the first few active Common Frogs and Common Newts.

On the down-side I watched six Chaffinches in the garden today, all six of them suffering to different extents with diseased legs and feet which makes landing and taking off a painful process. These birds learn to cope as the disease worsens but it effectively shortens their lives and is one of the main reasons why this once common bird has been reduced to the sidelines.

Two more Water Rails were caught and colour-ringed in the Nene Valley today as part of the long term project to understand more about the breeding habitats and dispersal of this secretive species.

At one site in the county today a pair of Peregrines were watched displaying at a potential breeding site and over at Summer Leys LNR a Peregrine was creating aerial art with the flocking Starlings as they came into roost this afternoon. A Barn Owl and a Cattle Egret were seen on the reserve too.

At Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon a second winter Mediterranean Gull was flying around north of the dam and two flocks of Starlings flew high to the east (about 1300 birds), perhaps enroute to Summer Leys LNR? 

Three Short-eared Owls were hunting at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this afternoon - concentrating on the lurid orange weed-killed fields which are presumably due to be ploughed soon.

Four Smew (three drakes) and a Scaup were reported at Eyebrook Reservoir today.

Regards

Neil M

Peregrine and Starlings.

Barn Owl.

Images from Summer Leys LNR
today courtesy of Dave Jackson.