Long-stayers and summer and winter visitors

Hello

Initially quite a pleasant day capitulated into a grey, cool, windy and sometimes wet afternoon!

The drake Ring-necked Duck was again relocated at Ringstead Pits today, showing well at Kinewell Lake early this afternoon. At least two Cattle Egrets were north-east of the lake.

Clifford Hill Pits attracted an Avocet (which flew off), four Little Ringed Plovers, two Wheatears, a Swallow and a Caspian Gull.

The New Workings section of Earls Barton Pits provided two Egyptian Geese, a Pintail x Mallard hybrid, a Green Sandpiper, a Redshank, a Caspian Gull, Grey Partridges and a Raven. A new wing-tagged Marsh Harrier was seen at Summer Leys LNR and a Peregrine chased a Common Snipe which escaped.

Four Mandarin Ducks and a Kingfisher were at Barnwell Country Park.

The long-staying Red-throated Diver was still at Hollowell Reservoir today and the over-wintering Blackcap was still visiting a garden at Woodford Halse.

A male Ring Ouzel flew across a road at Collyweston just before 12 noon and birds reported at Stanford Reservoir today included all three hirundines, four Great White Egrets, three Oystercatchers, two Kingfishers, two Water Rails and four Goosanders.

Willow Warblers were reported at three sites in the county today. A couple of Siskins were at Scotland Wood and the regular adult Yellow-legged Gull was at the dam-end of Pitsford Reservoir.

Some ringing at Linford Lakes, Milton Keynes this morning began with a stunning sunrise before thirty-seven birds of eleven species were processed which included two Chiffchaffs, two Cetti's Warblers, two Blackcaps and a Fieldfare. Birds on-site included three Ring-necked Parakeets, a Great White Egret, a Siskin and three White-fronted Geese.

Regards

Neil M

Sunrise at Linford Lakes.

Blackcaps.

Cetti's Warbler.

Fieldfare.

All images courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.