Cold weather movement

Hello

A cold night and day across Europe and the UK has undoubtedly caused some cold weather movement with fresh birds arriving in the county as a result. Over a hundred Fieldfares and small numbers of other thrushes at Harrington Airfield were probably all new arrivals as there are still a reasonable amount of berries on the bushes there.

The Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton was relatively quiet this morning with just a Barn Owl of note but this afternoon there were forty-five Golden Plovers, three hundred Lapwings, an increase in Meadow Pipits and Skylarks and large numbers of Fieldfares, Redwings and Starlings. Regulars included the female Merlin, at least six Bramblings and a pair of Stonechats.

A Tundra Bean Goose was a new bird in at Kinewell Lake, Ringstead Pits and later the ten European White-fronted Geese and a Marsh Harrier put in appearances too.

Thrapston Pits provided sightings of the mobile drake Ring-necked Duck, drake American Wigeon (generally Aldwincle Lake) and two Greater Scaup (Town Lake today). Two European White-fronted Geese again flew north-east at Stanwick Pits this morning. Two Marsh Harriers were seen at Summer Leys LNR today.

Clifford Hill Pits was again the venue for a drake Smew and four European White-fronted Geese.

At least sixty European White-fronted Geese were still at Stanford Reservoir today plus three Greater Scaup and with two thousand Common Gulls and a first winter Mediterranean Gull in the afternoon roost there.

A Whooper Swan arrived at Hollowell Reservoir this afternoon and a Jack Snipe was still present. A dead Water Rail was a road casualty just outside Holcot on the road to Walgrave (next to Pitsford Reservoir) and a Redpoll was at Brixworth Country Park.

Yesterday there were two Peregrines on St Dionysius church in Market Harborough and four Tree Sparrows were noted at Rectory Farm, Old.

Regards

Neil M

First year Mediterranean Gull.

Otter.

Tundra Bean Goose at
Ringstead Pits today
courtesy of Nick Parker.