A bit of movement

 After spending a rather pleasant three weeks of wandering around on the Isle of Scilly it is back to birding my local area.  Of course I couldn't wait to get back to Harrington Airfield!!!!.  Not much change there, on Wednesday there were birds everywhere but today I struggled to find anything.  My visit on Wednesday coincided with the mist/fog lifting and as I meandered slowly through the bushes I was aware that the bushes were heaving with Redwings and all the while I was there parties of Redwings were flying over and the air was filled with their lovely call. There were literally hundreds of Redwings present.                As I  stood around bunker 2 I heard the distinctive harsh chacking call of a Ring Ouzel which eventually showed itself briefly.    Other birds of note were 2 pairs of Stonechats and 25 Golden Plovers as well as the usual Ravens.    Yesterday there were far less Redwings present and I could only find one pair of Stonechat,  but there were 3 Chiffchaffs,  a Brambling and a Siskin.   Today it was a "birdless" zone !!.                                                                             I have also been checking the area around shrike hedge below Hanging Houghton  and 6 Stonechats appear to have moved in.  I'm not sure how much longer they will be there for as some of there favourite habitat has been cut back.

There has been a few interesting birds around in the last few days. Today a Yellow Browed Warbler was heard calling well by the River Nene opposite Mill Lane,  Earls Barton GP,  a Hen Harrier was at Stanford Reservoir,  Mediterranean Gull at Boddington Reservoir,  6 Cattle Egret in a field of cows near Kinewell Lake,  Ringstead,  Glossy Ibis at Summer Leys and Marsh Harrier reported from Ditchford Gp and Summer Leys.                                                   Yesterday there was a Yellow Legged Gull and Goldeneye at Ravensthorpe Reservoir,  Caspian Gull and 2 Stonechat at Hollowell Reservoir,  Glossy Ibis and Marsh Harrier at Summer Leys,  plus Pink Footed Goose, 4 Red Crested Pochards and a Hen Harrier at Stanford Reservoir. 

Have a good weekend 

Regards Eleanor 

Glossy Ibis.

Moorhen.

Jay.

Great White Egret.

All images courtesy of
Tony Stanford.