Peregrine prey

Hello

This morning I had the opportunity to check out the rooftops of All Saints church in Northampton town centre as there had been reports of a Peregrine regularly being seen there. My visit confirmed that the rooftops had been used as a plucking and eating post and victims of the winter were littered in the gutters and lead flashes. Identified species included feral pigeon, Starling, Blackbird, Golden Plover, Woodcock, Common Snipe, Teal, Water Rail and Moorhen, many of these birds probably being intercepted at dusk and at night. There was no Peregrine present but one was perched up not far away on the metal tower between the Southern Approach Road and Carlsberg. Interestingly a Peregrine at Market Harborough town centre the other day was photographed with it's Jay prey. A Grey Wagtail was singing from the rooftops near All Saints and a Yellow Wagtail flew over calling.

An adult Yellow-legged Gull was off the dam at Pitsford Reservoir this morning, a Raven was in the Welland Valley below Cottingham and another Grey Wagtail was singing at the Woodlands Hospital near Kettering.

Birds at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this morning included a Ring Ouzel, a male Common Redstart and two Wheatears and this afternoon the Redstart was still present and about two hundred Fieldfares had arrived.

Two Little Gulls and a Sanderling were at Eyebrook Reservoir today and Stanford Reservoir attracted two Black-tailed Godwits briefly, four Redshanks, a Greenshank flew through this evening, three Common Sandpipers, three Oystercatchers and two Great White Egrets.

At Summer Leys LNR the Glossy Ibis was still there today plus a Black-tailed Godwit, two Great White Egrets, two Little Ringed Plovers, three Ringed Plovers, a Dunlin, a Common Sandpiper, five Common Snipe and three Common Terns and the Grasshopper Warbler was still in the car park meadow. Nearby there was a Wheatear 500m downriver from Wollaston Lock.

At Whiston Wetlands bird sightings included a Barn Owl, a Hobby and an Avocet with just a single Greenshank at Lower Barnwell Lock floods.

Clifford Hill Pits witnessed five Grey Plovers flying east early this morning and birds remaining on-site were three Green Sandpipers, two Common Sandpipers, a Little Ringed Plover and a White Wagtail.

Yellow Wagtails and all three species of hirundines seem to be in the county in reasonable numbers now.

Regards

Neil M

Grey Wagtail courtesy
of Dave Jackson.

Tufted Duck courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Great Crested Grebe courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Pond Turtle sp courtesy
of Tony Stanford.