Quality November stayers

Hello

A grey, cloudy and mild day with a very gloomy afternoon but at least most of it was dry.

The drake Ring-necked Duck was still on the Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits today, initially located on Aldwincle Lake. Other bird on-site were over a hundred Pochard, a Marsh Harrier and five Great White Egrets and two Stonechats.

The three Glossy Ibis were still at a flooded field opposite Milton Road, Little Irchester this afternoon. Two were reported near the feeding station at Summer Leys LNR this morning.

Clifford Hill Pits hosted two drake Red-crested Pochard this morning plus three Great White Egrets and seven Golden Plovers. An adult Caspian Gull was at Hollowell Reservoir at lunchtime and a Glossy Ibis was still at Stanford Reservoir this morning.

The Black-necked Grebe was still at Pitsford Reservoir today, seen in the Pintail Bay at midday. The juvenile Whooper Swan was in the Yacht Bay but then flew towards the causeway. Two Tree Sparrows were at the Old Scaldwell Road Feeding Station, a Grey Wagtail was in the Scaldwell Bay and a Brambling in the Walgrave Bay. A Raven was at Hanging Houghton.

The drake American Wigeon remains at Eyebrook Reservoir where also at least one Scaup persists.

Yesterday (26th) afternoon and birds in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton included a Short-eared Owl, a female Merlin, a pair of Stonechats and fifteen Bramblings.

Regards

Neil M

Robin.

An Airbus 400M Atlas military
aircraft guilty today of flying low and
 disturbing birds in the county. These big
turbo prop planes are often seen careering
around at low level in a similar manner, but
flying faster, than the Hercules transport
 planes of a previous era.

Brown Hare cavorting around
today - this animal is blind in
it's right eye.

Buck Muntjac. No sooner had the 
hare disappeared then this little chap
came bimbling along over the horizon!