Short December Days

It's the time of year when the days seem to be so short. Because I usually have lots of things to get done I'm chomping at the bit waiting for the day to get light. This morning I went out early and used the brightness of the moon to light my way.  It was lovely being out at that time and I was treated to a spectacular daybreak with the sky turning various shades of blue and pink. It was crispy underfoot due to the hard frost and this had the added advantage of coming back with clean dogs instead of the wet and muddy ones of late. 

It seems pretty quiet everywhere in the county. Glossy Ibis were seen at Stanford Reservoir,  Summer Leys and a flooded field near Irchester. The regular Marsh Harriers were at Summer Leys and Titchmarsh LNR.  A Caspian Gull was at Hollowell and Ravensthorpe Reservoir,  Black-necked Grebe in the Pintail Bay at Pitsford Reservoir,  Bittern at Summer Leys, Cettis Warbler and 5 Stonechats at Hollowell Reservoir and on the Town Lake at Thrapston the drake Ring Necked Duck and both male and female Greater Scaup. Two Stonechats were at Upton Country Park today.

I have had very quiet visits to Harrington Airfield and shrike hedge/Blueberry.

 

Of interest a Common Gull seen and photographed (Stuart Mundy) at Pitsford Reservoir had been ringed at a site 500 miles away at Heligoland Island north of Germany. 

Have a good weekend

 

Regards Eleanor 

Stonechat.

Robin.

Common Gull.

Blackcap.

Goldfinch.

All images courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Birds lost in the fog

Hello

Foggy start to the day and then some sunny, still conditions made the afternoon brief but pleasant.

The Red-breasted Merganser wasn't seen at Boddington Reservoir today but there were fourteen Goosanders and a Raven there.

A drake Goosander was on Rotary Island at Summer Leys LNR this afternoon and a Common Snipe was the only bird of note seen at Harrington Airfield before the pheasant shooting began.

A male Blackcap visited a Little Billing garden this morning.

A/the female Merlin was again in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this afternoon, hunting Meadow Pipits trying to go to roost and other birds included the Corn Bunting again plus a pair of Stonechats and at least six Bramblings.

Regards

Neil M

Female Blackbird. Very few
Blackbirds about currently.

Robin.

Peregrine.

A Firecrest, the Merlin still and Siskins

Hello

A pleasant day's weather with some sunshine and blue sky, quite different to yesterday.

A Firecrest was an excellent find at Abington Park, Northampton, these smart birds are always looking for ivy and holly at this time of the year and are probably more common in the county than we think. A Great White Egret was seen flying over the park today.

A Red-breasted Merganser was seen again at Boddington Reservoir this afternoon before flying off with five Goosanders. A first year Yellow-legged Gull and at least six Chiffchaffs were present too.

The three Glossy Ibis were again in flooded fields near Little Irchester today.

An adult Caspian Gull was off the dam at Hollowell Reservoir this morning plus four Common Snipe, three hundred and seven Wigeon and five Stonechats.

The Black-necked Grebe was still at Pitsford Reservoir today, moving between the Pintail Bay and Yacht Bay and then swimming towards the dam and being unusually vocal. Other birds nearby were an adult Yellow-legged Gull, a 'redhead' Goosander, a Siskin, a Great White Egret and a Grey Wagtail, and a Crossbill and a Siskin were at Christies Copse in the Walgrave Bay.

Birds in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton again included the female Merlin (with prey), a pair of Stonechats and at least six Bramblings. A Blackcap and a Grey Wagtail visited our garden at Hanging Houghton today.

Twenty Siskins were at Kelmarsh Hall and a single was at Scotland Wood with four or five at Sandy Lane Attenuation Pond, Duston where also a Water Rail. A single Redpoll and a few Siskins were noted at Barnwell Country Park.

Regards

Neil M

Queen Hornet hibernating
in the ringing hut at Pitsford
Reservoir today.

The Firecrest found today at
Abington Park by Tyler Atkinson
and photographed by
 Martin Swannell.

Adult Yellow-legged Gull.

 

Wet weather birding

Hello

Pretty horrific weather today so perhaps not surprisingly there wasn't a great deal reported in the county.

The Red-breasted Merganser was seen again at Boddington Reservoir today and the Black-necked Grebe was in Pintail Bay at Pitsford Reservoir.

A Caspian Gull was seen at Daventry Country Park this morning. Two Egyptian Geese were in the Welland Valley below Cottingham.

Two Woodcock were seen at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this afternoon and there were two Woodcock flushed at Harrington Airfield too.

Regards

Neil M

One of the Brampton Valley
Bramblings courtesy of Phil West.

Egyptian Goose.

Common Buzzard.