Geese, scarce gulls and Crossbills

Hello

A lovely winter day's weather today with blue sky, sunshine and cool air.

Steve's morning at Stanwick Pits was enlivened with about forty White-fronted Geese flying over and two new Greater Scaups, one on North Lake and the other on the Main Lake, plus a first year Caspian Gull.

The Glossy Ibis was again at The Embankment in wet fields at Wellingborough this afternoon.

The adult Caspian Gull was again at Summer Leys LNR plus twenty Golden Plovers and twenty-one Common Snipe.

Clifford Hill Pits still hung on to the drake Smew, hopefully it remained unscathed during the duck shoot there today (victims included Tufted Ducks). A Stonechat was present too.

Nick watched fifty-four Pink-footed Geese fly NE over Titchmarsh reserve, Thrapston Pits at 3.25pm.

Eight Shelducks and a Cetti's Warbler were at Deene Lake today.

At Pitsford Reservoir today there were four Stonechats in the Scaldwell Bay, a Common Sandpiper feeding on the stumps between the Holcot and Walgrave Bays and an adult Yellow-legged Gull in the gull roost off the dam.

About fifty European White-fronted Geese were still at Stanford Reservoir today plus an adult Mediterranean Gull was in the afternoon roost and other birds on-site were nine Great White Egrets, fifteen Goosanders, one hundred and five Pochard, a Kingfisher and twenty-five Siskins.

Crossbills today were at Wakerley Wood with a small flock at What3Words catching.affords.meaty. At least twelve Crossbills were showing on and off all day at Gamboro' Plantation and coming down to drink at a puddle with other finches including a male Brambling.

A mixed finch/bunting flock this morning at Highfield Road, Mears Ashby included several Bramblings.

A Barn Owl, three Woodcock and a Common Snipe were at Harrington Airfield with another Woodcock at Scotland Wood on the Kelmarsh Estate.

Birds around shrike hedge in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton were the female Peregrine again plus a Jack Snipe, a pair of Stonechats, two Redpolls and several Bramblings.

Regards

Neil M

Drake Gadwall.

Raven.

Common Buzzard.