Birds of a warm spring day

Hello

Another day of pleasant temperatures and weather and the female Ring Ouzel at Harrington Airfield performed rather well to all-comers as she gleaned the areas around Bunkers Two and Three. A gentle, quiet approach and keeping still provides the best views.

A male Ring Ouzel was again in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton near to Shrike Hedge at lunchtime with three Yellow Wagtails there too and later a Short-eared Owl flew through. Two Short-eared Owls and a Jack Snipe and six Common Snipe were west of Lamport but no Short-eared Owls were seen at Blueberry Farm today. A Curlew moved north along the Brampton Valley below Brixworth this morning.

An Avocet was a good find at Stanwick Pits where it remained on Layby Pit for much of the day. Other birds included a Shelduck, a Common Sandpiper and two Redshanks.

At Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston Pits birds included a pair of Egyptian Geese, two pairs of Oystercatchers, a Common Sandpiper, a Kingfisher and a Great White Egret. The female Ring-necked Duck remained on Cotton Reel Lake at Ditchford Pits and other birds on the complex were a Cuckoo and a Cattle Egret.

A drake Red-crested Pochard again showed up at Earls Barton New Workings where there were also singles of Common Sandpiper and Green Sandpiper.

Yet again an Osprey was seen over the dam at Pitsford Reservoir, with almost consecutive day sightings usually in the afternoons. A male Wheatear was on unused land next to Morrisons Warehouse on the Willlowbrook Estate at Corby early this afternoon and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was heard drumming at Yardley Chase early this morning. 

Two Cetti's Warblers were at Sywell Country Park this afternoon, a Siskin, four Ravens and a Grey Wagtail were at Cottesbrooke and Stanford Reservoir hosted a Great White Egret, two Common Sandpipers, two Shelduck, two Cetti's Warblers and four Ravens.

Regards

Neil M

Chiffchaff courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Female Sparrowhawk
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

More Tree Sparrow boxes
went up today as we fight
to keep this species in the
county!

A trotting Fox or a Foxtrot?
Either way he kept a watchful
eye on me as he trotted past!