Birds on a bright winter day

Hello

A brighter day today with blue skies, some sunshine and a keen breeze was much better than the weather during the week.

Birds in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton included a Barn Owl, a pair of Stonechats and two Bramblings. Two Barn Owls and a displaying Raven were on the Cottesbrooke Estate.

Pitsford Reservoir is now full of brown water and has lost plenty of wildfowl during the last few days as they have moved on to better conditions. The only birds of interest noted there today were a Raven and two Grey Wagtails.

The Glossy Ibis turned up again at the Embankment at Wellingborough and it seems that the drake American Wigeon has relocated to Ferry Meadows Country Park at Peterborough.

Seven Smew were still at Eyebrook Reservoir plus thirteen European White-fronted Geese and a Greater Scaup.

Birds at Stanford Reservoir today were fifty-eight European White-fronted Geese, one hundred and two Pochard, three Water Rails, six Great White Egrets, three Goosanders, a Kingfisher and a Raven. Three hundred Lapwings and thirty Golden Plovers were at Lilbourne Water Meadows.

A drake Smew was at Clifford Hill Pits today with a supporting cast of a Great White Egret, three female Shelducks and a pair of Goosanders. Nearby at Barnes Meadow LNR there were a pair of Stonechats, a Common Snipe, a Woodcock and four Water Rails.

Stanwick Pits hosted a Marsh Harrier, a Redshank and a Pintail and Summer Leys LNR provided for seven European White-fronted Geese and a Marsh Harrier again. Seven Mandarin Ducks were at Barnwell Country Park and nine European White-fronted Geese were in a field near Warmington Mill this morning.

Two Blackcaps continue to visit a garden in Woodford Halse, a pair of Pintail were in flooded fields at Upton Country Park, two Ring-necked Parakeets were seen in flight over Boughton Pocket Park and in excess of three hundred Fieldfares and two Ravens were in fields south west of Sibbertoft.

Regards

Neil M

Canada Geese courtesy
of John Tilly.

Cormorant courtesy of
John Tilly.

Kestrel courtesy
of Robin Gossage.