Ringing and birding in the grey month of the year

Hello

A ringing session on Thursday at Woodford Halse provided ninety-eight birds with Blue Tits and Great Tits providing the bulk of the captures, but other birds amongst the fourteen species processed included three Goldcrests, a Chiffchaff, two Treecreepers, two Nuthatches, three Chaffinches, four Blackbirds, a Redwing, a Woodpigeon, two Grey Wagtails and a Kingfisher.

Today and a similar number of birds were processed by ringers operating at Linford Lakes on the outskirts of Milton Keynes with the highlights being a Blackcap, a couple of Chiffchaffs, a Goldcrest, a number of Redwings, a Song Thrush, a couple of Blackbirds, a Water Rail, a Kingfisher and a Barn Owl. A couple of Great White Egrets were about and flights of Cormorants, Siskins and Fieldfares were regularly flying over.

Birds seen in the county included a Hawfinch at Lamport Hall and Blatherwycke churchyard, three Hawfinches at Cottesbrooke, the late Swallow still at Brixworth, eight Whooper Swans and two drake Red-crested Pochard on Blatherwycke Lake and a pair of Bearded Tits were still at Stanwick Lakes near to the main car park.

In the Nene Valley a 'ringtail' Hen Harrier and two Marsh Harriers were in the Whiston Lock area with a Whooper Swan flying over and a Grey Plover with Golden Plovers there plus a Stonechat. Nearby the Glossy Ibis and a Marsh Harrier were still at Summer Leys LNR and the Whooper Swan flew over there too. In the Bozenham Mill area a male Hen Harrier flew towards Ashton this morning.

At Harrington Airfield a Peregrine, a Common Snipe and eight hundred plus Fieldfares were present this afternoon and two Knot were at Eyebrook Reservoir.

At Stanford Reservoir today there was an adult Mediterranean Gull, an adult Caspian Gull, two Red-crested Pochards, two Pintail, a Great White Egret, two Water Rails and two Cetti's Warblers.

Regards

Neil M

Barn Owl.

Kingfisher.

Water Rail.