A cold January Saturday

Hello

Another cold, crispy day but it looks as if this period of cold weather will be changing to warmer weather in the new week.

The Pitsford Reservoir Great Northern Diver was still present again today in The Narrows with a pair of Stonechats nearby, three Pintail in a break in the ice north of the causeway, three Tree Sparrows at the Old Scaldwell Road Feeding Station and a Jack Snipe which was flushed from a field between Scaldwell village and the reservoir, flying towards the latter.

Two drake Smew and the Scaup were still at Eyebrook Reservoir and the Nene Valley provided a White-fronted Goose in flight over Whiston Pits and nearby birds below Cogenhoe and in the vicinity of Cogenhoe Lock included a Cattle Egret, a Marsh Harrier, a fly-over Curlew, two Green Sandpipers and several Common Snipe. Seven Goosanders were at Clifford Hill Pits late this morning.

A female Blackcap was in a garden at Wollaston and a pair of Blackcaps have been regular in a Spratton garden during the last week.

A Short-eared Owl was out hunting at Harrington Airfield this morning, followed a while later by a Barn Owl. Other birds included three Golden Plovers and plenty of Yellowhammers.

A Short-eared Owl was in hedging at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this afternoon with another not too far away on private land with no public access. A female Peregrine and two Woodcock were also at Blueberry Farm and birds in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton included two Barn Owls, a Grey Wagtail, thirteen Grey Partridges, two hundred Linnets, a hundred Goldfinches and forty Skylarks.

Regards

Neil M

Wintry scenes at Pitsford Reservoir
today with much of the reservoir
north of the causeway being ice.

Fallow Deer courtesy
of Jonathan Pitt.

Long-tailed Tits courtesy
of Jonathan Pitt.

Magpie.