Wonderful Waxwings

Hello

For me the highlight of the day was a flock of fourteen Waxwings in Northampton and they showed well today next to the River Nene at Far Cotton next to the In 'n' Out Autocentre and Aldi store off the Towcester Road. Feeding mostly on rose hip berries (many of which are rotting and are rejected by the birds), these birds are typically unafraid of people and showed well today. At least one and maybe two of these birds are sporting colour rings and are likely to originate from the activities of the Grampian Ringing Group in Scotland. In an urban environment other birds seen there included a Peregrine, four Red Kites, a Little Egret, a Lesser Redpoll and a Chiffchaff.

At least one Mealy Redpoll was with a small group of Lesser Redpolls at the Sandy Lane attenuation pond on the outskirts of Duston, Northampton.

In the Nene Valley there was a Marsh Harrier at Stanwick Pits early this morning and the 'redhead' Smew was still on the main barrage lake at Clifford Hill Pits. At Summer Leys LNR a Marsh Harrier and a Merlin were good raptor sightings and other birds included thirty Common Snipe, ten Redshanks, a Dunlin and four Sand Martins. Four Green Sandpipers and a Redshank were at the New Workings, Earls Barton. Two Sand Martins were at Stortons Pits this evening.

A Water Rail was at Spring Pond on the Brampton Valley Way below Brixworth and two Green Sandpipers were nearby. 

An adult Yellow-legged Gull was off the dam at Pitsford Reservoir this morning and a Pink-footed Goose and two Oystercatchers were at Stanford Reservoir.

A Blackcap was coming to apples in a Duston garden today and garden Siskins included two at Moulton and two at Brixworth. A female Sparrowhawk took a Collared Dove in our Hanging Houghton garden today.

Regards

Neil M

The Far Cotton
Waxwings today.