Winter birding

Hello

Another cold but pleasant winter's day with some lovely sunshine.

More evidence of cold weather movement today with more finches and extra Woodcock locally.

Yesterday (Thursday) and a large flock of about three hundred and fifty Linnets were discovered in the Brampton Valley at Merry Tom Lane. Today and still a hundred Linnets and a hundred Goldfinches, two Bramblings and thirty Skylarks plus the usual two Grey Wagtails were in the valley below Hanging Houghton. Three Woodcock and hundreds of Starlings, Redwings and Fieldfares were busy in the fields in the Blueberry Farm area near Maidwell.

A large adult female Peregrine was perched in a field to the west of the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon where there was also a vocal Raven, and two Tree Sparrows were at the Old Scaldwell Road Feeding Station.

A Barn Owl, a Raven, a Golden Plover and fifty Skylarks were at Harrington Airfield today and birds noted at Lamport Hall this afternoon included a flock of fifteen Pink-footed Geese low and vocal heading off towards Pitsford Reservoir, a Barn Owl and two Woodcock. Single Siskins were at Scotland Wood and Kelmarsh Hall.

Eyebrook Reservoir hung on to three Smew again today, the two White-fronted Geese and two Egyptian Geese were in fields between the reservoir and Ravensthorpe village and the former were also on the reservoir at one point. The long-staying Glossy Ibis was still at Summer Leys LNR and the Black-tailed Godwit also remained.

Three Goosanders were at Daventry Country Park, a Goosander was at Stortons Pits, up to five Hawfinches were counted at Blatherwycke Churchyard and nearby Deene Lake hosted eight Shelducks, over two hundred Teal, two Black Swans and a Green Sandpiper.

A Hawfinch was seen in Cottesbrooke village this afternoon, in yews near to the Old Rectory and two pairs of Stonechat were along the river at Towcester.

Regards

Neil M

This adult Jay was recently
trapped in Scaldwell village
and found to be a ringed bird.
It was originally ringed at Pitsford
Reservoir in September 2014 as an
adult and has been caught there
 twice since. This bird is at least
eleven years old.

Image courtesy of
Charlotte Foote.

Tawny Owl courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Goosander courtesy
of Tony Stanford.