The ducks have it!

Hello

Ducks stole the show today with the drake Garganey again being seen on Otter Lake on the Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve section of Ditchford Pits this morning. Nearby at Stanwick Pits Steve Fisher found a/the drake Green-winged Teal on flood water behind the Main Lake. The drake Scaup was again on Grendon Lakes on the Earls Barton Pits complex today and the 'redhead' Smew was again reported on the Main Lake at Clifford Hill Pits this morning.

This afternoon there were four mobile Short-eared Owls on the eastern edge of Blueberry Farm, Maidwell at the juncture of Lamport Farms fields - access is from footpaths from the Brampton Valley Way running up to Blueberry Farm. Six Common Snipe were present too. This morning a Short-eared Owl, presumably one of these birds, flew up from cover in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton near to 'shrike hedge', with two Green Sandpipers and two Stonechats just west of the Brampton Valley Way. 

Two Siskins were on a nyger feeder at Scotland Wood this morning and birds around Kelmarsh Hall included a Woodcock, two Ravens and some audible Siskins. A described owl seen on the events field there yesterday by staff members suggested another Short-eared Owl but it couldn't be relocated today.

Two Cattle Egrets were on the Summer Leys reserve today and other birds recorded included a Marsh Harrier, three Great White Egrets, three hundred and eighty Golden Plovers, two Redshanks, four Oystercatchers, six Common Snipe and two Chiffchaffs. 

A very impressive Starling murmuration took place again at Stortons Pits this evening, well captured on video by Graham Bentley.

Regards

Neil M

Great Crested Grebe
courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Tufted Ducks courtesy
of John Tilly.

Redshank courtesy 
of Tony Stanford.

Oystercatchers courtesy
of Tony Stanford.