Cool weather but birds hotting up!!

Another cool day,  infact I had to dig out my scarf and gloves !!. I did hear that the temperatures that we are experiencing at the moment are our "normal " for February and that things are not going to improve yet !!. The poor birds must be wondering what is happening. 

However the migrants are arriving.  There are plenty of Warblers making their presence known.  The Nightingale is still at Stanwick GP and a further one appeared at Crescent Lake Brackmills today. A Grasshopper Warbler was reeling between Hunsbarrow Road and Grand Union Canal Northampton.  Northern Wheatears continue to move through and there have been good numbers of Yellow Wagtails arriving.  A Channel Wagtail (hybrid) was located on a flooded area near Aynho.

But it is the Nene Valley which comes into its own at this time of year. It is always busy with birds and always picks up a good selection of waders. Over the last couple of days there have been Black Tailed Godwits, Little Ringed Plovers and Green Sandpipers at Clifford Hill GP . At nearby Summer Leys,  Whimbrel, Dunlin, Greenshank, Black Tailed Godwits, Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers . A Turnstone was found at Stanwick GP.                                         Other birds reported from the Nene Valley include the long staying Ring Ouzel at Miller's Meadow, Weston Mill, Arctic Terns at Clifford Hill GP and Summer Leys, drake Red Crested Pochard at the new workings Earls Barton, female Ring Necked Duck at Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows ,Bar Tailed Godwit and Grasshopper Warbler at Barnwell Lock.

Away from the Nene Valley I had a good walk around the Blueberry area yesterday and bumped into 2 Short-eared Owls,  a  Fieldfare, 2 Redwings and 3 Northern Wheatears.  Today on the same walk and it was quiet with no birds of note.  A visit to Harrington Airfield this afternoon was also quiet with just a Short-eared Owl and 2 Northern Wheatears.  There were 6 Lapwings making themselves very comfortable on one of the fields.  Hopefully they won't make themselves too comfy as the fields will shortly be ploughed and sown.                                                                         Yesterday I managed to check the scapes/pools below Brixworth and found 2 Black Tailed Godwits,  Green Sandpiper,  Little Egret and Cuckoo.  Today there were 2 Ringed Plovers present.  This area is definitely worth keeping an eye on. 

So plenty of birds appearing.  Hopefully if these winds ever change direction there will be lots more to come. 

Regards Eleanor 

Goldfinch.

Kestrel.

Robin.

All images courtesy
of Tony Stanford.