End of March birding

Hello

Migration has spluttered a bit in recent days but there was evidence that some birds are making it through.

A drake Common Scoter was on Higham Lake at Ditchford Pits today and at Earls Barton Pits there was a Curlew at Summer Leys LNR and the new workings/quarry attracted a drake Red-crested Pochard, a White Wagtail, two Green Sandpipers, a Redshank and a Shelduck.

Two Blackcaps were in a Wellingborough garden today and each day there is an increase in singing birds in the wider countryside as different populations of the same species begin to mix.

Four Short-eared Owls don't seem in a hurry to depart their field west of Lamport - there does seem to be plenty of voles about which is their staple diet. Two Green Sandpipers and two Grey Wagtails were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton with a Wheatear there briefly. A male Grey Wagtail was showing well at Upton Country Park.

A second year Caspian Gull, a drake Mandarin Duck and six Siskins were at Hollowell Reservoir this morning and a few Siskins were in Hanging Houghton village.

Harrington Airfield remained quiet with the best birds being just three Ravens and three Grey Partridges this afternoon and birds at Stanford Reservoir included four Pintail, an Oystercatcher and eight Ravens.

An Osprey was seen near Braybrooke this afternoon eating a fish on a telegraph pole (recorded by video).

Regards

Neil M

Grey Wagtail courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Coot courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Brown Hare courtesy
of John Tilly.