November ringing encounters

Hello

Another cold start to the day with minus 4C temperatures pre-dawn and another frost.

A ringing session at Linford lakes, Milton Keynes under the leadership of Kenny Cramer provided sixty-eight captures which included two Fieldfares, four Redwings, two Blackbirds, two Cetti's Warblers, a Blackcap, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Starling, a Treecreeper, two Goldfinches and a Moorhen. Up to fifteen Great White Egrets and twenty Little Egrets were on-site plus a couple of Chiffchaffs and five Common Snipe.

At the same time there was a small scale ringing operation at Harrington Airfield with just three ringers. targeting the thrush family - captures were thirty-nine Redwings, two Fieldfares, a Song Thrush and ten Blackbirds, the majority if not all these birds originating from the continent. Some late in the session bonuses were a single Green Woodpecker, a male Sparrowhawk and a wonderful Woodcock! Other birds noted on-site were two Ravens and a Grey Wagtail.

The Snow Bunting continued to delight along the track in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton where also the 'ringtail' Hen Harrier was seen again plus a Stonechat and an unidentified bunting.

Stanford Reservoir today provided sightings of the three White-fronted Geese again and two Caspian Gulls, one hundred and seventy-five Pochard and a Stonechat. Four Whooper Swans briefly dropped into Boddington Reservoir before departing to the south/south-east.

A Blackcap was in Hollowell village, a Raven was in Mawsley village and two Bitterns were again seen at Summer Leys LNR from the Paul Britten hide.

Scanning from the high ground at Borough Hill Country Park paid off for Eleanor with an adult male Hen Harrier hunting rough fields near to the A45, and birds on the summit were two Short-eared Owls, a Crossbill and eight Bramblings. The first year Scaup was again at Daventry Country Park.

Two Goosanders and three Pintails were at Blatherwycke Lake and birds north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon were one hundred and sixty-four Cormorants, eight Pintail, eight Shelducks and a Siskin. Another 'ringtail' Hen Harrier was seen crossing the road north of Beckworth Emporium, Mears Ashby.

Regards

Neil M

Fieldfare.

Moorhen.

Starling.

Above images courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

Green Woodpecker.

Sparrowhawk.

Fieldfare.

Woodcock.

Above images courtesy of
Jane Neill.