Southerly air flow

Hello

Another cold one last night but finally some warm air arriving from the south today! So far it hasn't changed the local bird scene a great deal but there were definitely more Chiffchaffs about today. Further south the changing weather conditions caused plenty of up-channel migration as seen from southerly and south-easterly headlands with waterfowl dominating on their passage north. It's possible that the local birding tomorrow will reflect this as we keenly anticipate the arrival of Garganey, passage Common Scoters, more waders and the like.

Three Cattle Egrets were seen in flight at Stanwick Pits this morning and Summer Leys LNR retained the Glossy Ibis and drake Scaup with waders amounting to passage Common Snipe, two Ruff, a Dunlin, a Redshank, a Golden Plover, a Little Ringed Plover and a Jack Snipe.

Nearby there were still seven White-fronted Geese and a Pink-footed Goose in the valley below Cogenhoe towards the on-going gravel extraction workings. The drake Smew was still at Clifford Hill Pits and there were two Dunlin and two Little Ringed Plovers on the shoreline. The Cattle Egret was still in fields south of the complex. A Little Ringed Plover and two Dunlin were on the Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston Pits.

A Jack Snipe, a Common Snipe and five Sand Martins were noted at Hollowell Reservoir.

In the Brampton Valley there were four Grey Wagtails below Brixworth and two Barn Owls below Hanging Houghton. Another Grey Wagtail was at Kelmarsh Hall with Ravens over Higham Ferrers and on the Kelmarsh Estate. An adult Yellow-legged Gull was off the dam at Pitsford Reservoir this morning.

Regards

Neil M

Ruff courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Blue Tit courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Nuthatch courtesy
of Sean Gower.

Marsh Tit courtesy
of Sean Gower.