White-fronted Geese galore

Hello

A sharp frost this morning after a wet first half of the night brough treacherous conditions on untreated roads.

Thrapston Pits proved a popular venue today with the Tundra Bean Goose and fourteen European White-fronted Geese still at Islip Meadows and occasionally visiting Town Lake when disturbed. The drake American Wigeon was on the Titchmarsh reserve as were two Marsh Harriers, a Black-tailed Godwit and two Great White Egrets. Two Greater Scaup were near the Sailing Club on Town Lake.

At Stanwick Pits the Tundra Bean Goose was eventually found on fields near North Lake and ten European White-fronted Geese were also still present.

A flock of ten European White-fronted Geese by Warmington Mill were yet another local flock of these normally very scarce geese in the county; in excess of a hundred birds are currently wintering in Northamptonshire.

Stanford Reservoir still hosts up to about sixty European White-fronted Geese where also twelve Goosanders, two Kingfishers, two Water Rails and a Cetti's Warbler. A single European White-fronted Goose was with Greylags in the Cherwell Valley just west of Great Western between Aynho and Clifton.

Two Marsh Harriers were at Summer Leys LNR today and a single Glossy Ibis turned up in fields at the Embankment, Wellingborough near to the Premier Inn. Four European White-fronted Geese remain at Clifford Hill Pits.

Five Corn Buntings still persist in fields between Deanshanger and Wicken and birds at Pitsford Reservoir include the Black-necked Grebe and the Common Sandpiper in the Pintail Bay, a Grey Wagtail and a Redpoll with an adult Caspian Gull and two Yellow-legged Gulls (one adult and one first year) in the gull roost off the dam.

At least fifteen Crossbills were showing very well at Gamboro' Plantation first thing this morning where also two Redpolls and a few Siskins. Easily three hundred Fieldfares were in top fields at Harrington Airfield between the bunkers and the B576 and Bramblings were heard calling in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton where also three Common Snipe.

Regards

Neil M

Great White Egret Thrapston Pits
courtesy of Jonathan Pitt.

Common Gull.

Black-tailed Godwit courtesy 
of Tony Stanford.

Water Rail courtesy
of Robin Gossage.