Late autumn migrants

Hello

Another mild November day although it was only 5 degrees Centigrade before dawn. It was then murky for much of the morning until the breeze kicked in and then broken sunshine in the afternoon with rain after dark.

A modest ringing session at Pitsford Reservoir processed eight Reed Buntings, three Song Thrushes and four Stonechats amongst more common fare. An adult Caspian Gull was north of the causeway and other birds noted included three Great White Egrets, a Raven, twenty Common Snipe, a Grey Wagtail and a Brambling.

Two local observers saw a possible Dusky Warbler this morning from one of the hides at Summer Leys but seemingly it wasn't seen subsequently. The three Glossy Ibis were still there and other birds noted included a Marsh Harrier, a Kingfisher and about forty Golden Plovers. A Marsh Harrier was also seen at Quarry Walk Pit, Earls Barton Pits.

At Ditchford Pits the drake Lesser Scaup was still on Big Lake but there was no sign of yesterday's Smew.

Early morning birding at Clifford Hill Pits provided a Dunlin, five Golden Plovers, a Common Snipe, a Peregrine, a Yellow-legged Gull, two Great White Egrets and two Stonechats.

The bird information services reported five Twite for Sywell Country Park this afternoon, a rare visitor to the county these days.

In the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton today there were two Stonechats, several Bramblings and at least two Redpolls with several Crossbills at Gamboro' Plantation. Two Green Sandpipers were on a pool in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth. A vocal Grey Plover was over Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this morning and Bramblings were at Beck Dairy, Cottesbrooke.

Harrington Airfield provided sightings of a male Merlin, a high-flying Short-eared Owl being pursued by corvids and a heavy passage of winter thrushes and smaller numbers of Siskins, Redpolls and Bramblings passing over.

The American Golden Plover was at Eyebrook Reservoir and the two Glossy Ibis flew over Stanford Reservoir where there was also a Peregrine, a Pochard exhibiting a bill saddle, two Water Rails, four Cetti's Warblers and a Brambling.

Regards

Neil M

Stonechats at Pitsford
Reservoir today, male above
and female below.