Respect the Parakeet!

Hello

Rather grey and raw but in reality a typical winter's day weather.

A full on ringing session today at Woughton Orchard, Milton Keynes run by Kenny Cramer amassed ninety-eight birds with Blue Tits dominating with sixty-nine individuals plus five Long-tailed Tits, twelve Great Tits and two Robins. Variety came in the form of a Goldfinch, three Greenfinches and two Magpies. However the highlight of the session were four Ring-necked Parakeets, not a species encountered by this ringing group before and a species with a formidable bill which demands respect and possibly may have produced a few expletives from the ardent ringers with their sore fingers! Another four individuals evaded the nets and watched proceedings from atop trees!

Away from ringing a few of the regular bird stars popped up again in the county with the Glossy Ibis at Summer Leys LNR, a drake Smew visited Ravensthorpe Reservoir again where the two White-fronted Geese remain with the local goose flock and two Short-eared Owls were again on private land near Blueberry Farm, Maidwell.

Five drake Smew remained at Eyebrook Reservoir today and a Great White Egret, a Water Rail and two Redpolls were at Stanford Reservoir. A Great White Egret and a Raven were north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir today.

In the Brampton Valley there was a Chiffchaff and two Grey Wagtails below Brixworth with a Barn Owl and two Green Sandpipers below Hanging Houghton. A Barn Owl was at Harrington Airfield and a Peregrine at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell.

A Curlew flew over Deenethorpe Airfield today and two  Bramblings were in a weedy field between Fineshade and Wakerley Woods.

Regards

Neil M

Ring-necked Parakeets courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

A Herald moth found today.