Ditchford WeBs count

Hello

Eleanor went for a run around Pitsford Reservoir this morning (south of the causeway) and saw the Slavonian Grebe back by the Holly Tree (it's actually now a lone Hawthorn bush). Four White-fronted Geese flew south over the causeway and later were near the dam with Canada Geese.

A flock of Waxwings were discovered feeding on berries at School Lane in Kettering this morning, the flock size varying between 12 and 22 during the day.

I spent much of the day checking out the old gravel pits at Ditchford, the still short days meaning it took most of the available daylight hours to walk around and count waterbirds on just eleven of the thirty or so pits which form part of this very large complex. A drake Smew was on the main pit between Higham Ferrers and Irthlingborough and a pair of Red-crested Pochard were on the adjacent fishing pit. At least five Goosanders were present and other birds included three little Egrets, a Green Sandpiper, a Woodcock, a Jack Snipe, ten Snipe, three Kingfishers, a Grey Wagtail and small numbers of Cetti's Warblers.

Regards

Neil M

Purple Swamphen.

Little Bittern.

For the third Christmas in a row
I have co-led a Naturetrek tour to
The Algarve in Portugal. The two birds
above were among the star birds of the show.
I thought I would add them to the blog
because despite walking around with my
camera all day today, I didn't take any images
despite the sometimes rather nice light conditions!

Birds at Summer Leys

Hello

Robin Gossage was at the Summer Leys reserve at Earls Barton today and noted an adult Peregrine carrying a just-caught Golden Plover, one of their favourite prey items. Up to five Water Rails were on show and other birds included two drake Pintail.

Eleanor's only noteworthy observation was the pair of Stonechat still in the valley below Hanging Houghton this morning.

Regards

Neil M

Peregrine with
Golden Plover.

Pintail.

Water Rail.

All images taken by
Robin Gossage at
Summer Leys today.

Our most common raptors

Hello

Two ringing sessions took place yesterday (Sunday), with efforts at Linford Lakes providing 42 captures which included 22 new birds. They were made up of 5 Robins, a Dunnock, 2 Wrens, 12 Great Tits, 17 Blue Tits, 2 Long-tailed Tits, a Song Thrush, a Blackbird and a Goldcrest. Stortons Gravel Pits provided 46 captures of which 33 were new birds including 2 Redwings. The re-traps included a six year old Robin.

Today and John Hunt reports that a pair of Egyptian Geese were looking rather maternal at Oundle Marina and he noted 10 Siskins at nearby Barnwell Country Park.

I spent much of today whizzing around the wild bird feeding stations in the centre of the county, dispensing food in readiness for the apparent change in temperatures forecast for later in the week. I didn't see any birds of note during my travels...

Regards

Neil M

Sparrowhawk.

Male Kestrel.

Common Buzzard.

Steve Bennison took a stroll
around Kingsthorpe Meadow
yesterday morning and was pleased
to see and photograph our three
most common raptors.

Jay

Image courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Love is in the Air!

Hello

Another BOS Short Day Count was completed today, this time in SP54 in the south west of the county. Edgcote and Trafford Bridge/Marsh was the initial venue and in fact we spent about half the day in this general area finding about sixty species of birds. The scarcer species included a Little Egret, a Water Rail, a Common Snipe, two Kingfishers, three Grey Wagtails, an adult male Peregrine, Tree Sparrows, Siskins and a single Willow Tit.

Visiting sites further south in the 10km square provided views of a female Merlin not far from Chacombe, a couple of Ravens and some more Siskins at Thenford.

The mild conditions of the last few days has stimulated further breeding interest in both our birds and mammals. Eric Graham watched six Great Spotted Woodpeckers chasing each other around at Titchmarsh Reserve yesterday and we saw much the same thing at Edgcote today. And at least one of Robin's images below, errrm, also indicate similar interests in our British mammals...!

Regards

Neil M

A pair of Red Fox
Pitsford Reservoir

A pair of Muntjac at
Pitsford Reservoir!

And of course the intimate photographer
could only ever be our own Robin Gossage!

More Waxwings!

Hello

The Banbury Ornithological Society Short Day Count took place in SP55 today, a 10km square in Northamptonshire west of Daventry. We were fortunate to encounter Waxwings in Woodford Halse village. Initially we heard a calling bird in the fog shortly after 8am but returned in the late morning and found a flock of seven in gardens along Adams Road which created a great deal of local interest.

In murky conditions it was difficult to find many of the species we were looking for but Fawsley Park hosted as many as three Kingfishers, three or four Water Rails, a small party of Siskins, a Grey Wagtail and woodland and water birds typical of the site. Other birds noted in SP55 included several Ravens, two Peregrines, a Woodcock and a Brambling.

Eleanor was at Staverton this morning and saw 2-3 Ravens and a visit to Ravensthorpe Reservoir this afternoon provided views of three playing Otters and two Great White Egrets from the road causeway. The pair of Stonechat remain about a mile west of Hanging Houghton.

Regards

Neil M

The flock of seven Waxwings
today in the murk at Woodford
Halse courtesy of Jacob Spinks.

More images of the
photogenic Waxwings at Roade
 last week courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Scotland Wood ringing

Hello

A rather cold start this morning but a small band of us committed to some bird ringing on the Kelmarsh Estate today, concentrating our efforts in Scotland Wood.

Good numbers of small birds were present in this mixed woodland, their numbers supported with the provision of feedstuffs. In total 137 birds were caught and processed (111 new and 26 re-traps) totalling 14 species made up of 7 Blackbirds, 3 Goldcrests, 8 Long-tailed Tits, a Treecreeper, 2 Nuthatches, 3 Dunnocks, 29 Great Tits, 3 Marsh Tits, a Willow Tit, 5 Robins, 38 Blue Tits, 27 Coal Tits, 9 Chaffinches and a first year female Sparrowhawk. Several Siskins were also present in the wood.

Regards

Neil M

Female Sparrowhawk. This fine
raptor is a first year bird hatched
in 2016. The underside has yet to
develop the barring of an adult and the
chestnut fringing to the upperside and pale
 edges to the coverts is typical of this age.

Birds of Pitsford

Hello

Several birders' efforts at Pitsford Reservoir today eventually enticed some birds out in to the winter sun which included five Bewick's Swans flying south over the dam this morning, two Great White Egrets, two Red-crested Pochards, the Slavonian Grebe (off the Sailing Club), two Green Sandpipers, a Kingfisher, a female Stonechat and a Raven with an adult Caspian Gull and a first year Yellow-legged Gull in the afternoon gull roost.

Ravensthorpe Reservoir still hosted three Great White Egrets despite icy conditions plus a Grey Wagtail and a Kingfisher.

The pair of Stonechat were still near Hanging Houghton and Harrington Airfield provided views of a Woodcock and about fifty Golden Plovers. Yesterday evening, Helen Franklin saw a Barn Owl close to Catesby west of Daventry...

Regards

Neil M

Bewick's Swans

Mute Swans

Raven

Slavonian Grebe

Tufted Duck

Gadwall

All the above images
taken at Pitsford Reservoir
courtesy of Jacob Spinks.

Wigeon

Great White Egret

Pair-bonding Mute Swans

Above images taken at
Ravensthorpe Reservoir
by Cathy Ryden.

Finches and wagtails.

Hello

Yesterday Lyn and John Hunt saw a Stonechat at Oundle Water Meadows and counted 4 Grey Wagtails and 135 plus Pied Wagtails at Oundle Water Treatments Works.

A ringing session at Kelmarsh Hall today provided 119 captures made up of a single Wren, 4 Blackbirds, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Dunnocks, 2 Greenfinches, 14 Great Tits, a Nuthatch, 46 Blue Tits, 3 Coal Tits, a Long-tailed Tit, 34 Goldfinches, 3 Chaffinches, 2 Bullfinches and 4 Robins.

Other birds noted on-site included a Raven, at least seven Siskins and a Grey Wagtail.

Eleanor ran around Sywell Country Park twice today with her dogs, notching up a Water Rail, a Kingfisher, two Grey Wagtails, fifty Siskins, a Cetti's Warbler and a pair of Stonechat.

A pair of Stonechat remain in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and birds this afternoon at Pitsford Reservoir included two adult White-fronted Geese with the Greylag flock in the Pintail Bay, a first year Yellow-legged Gull in the roost, a Kingfisher, a Snipe, a Redshank, a Green Sandpiper and a Grey Wagtail.

Regards

Neil M

Robin

Goldeneye

Great Crested Grebe

Recent images from
Pitsford Reservoir
courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Stunning birds of winter...

Hello

Yesterday the transient Nene Valley White-fronted Goose flock turned up over the Summer Leys reserve near Earls Barton as photographed by Steve Bennison.

The Waxwings at Roade showed superbly yesterday as captured by Robin Gossage, but all the indications are that they have now gone with no reported sightings today.

Pitsford Reservoir was visited by John Moon and Neil Hasdell today and between them they saw the Slavonian Grebe near to the Holly Tree, a Great White Egret, two Green Sandpipers, a Redshank, a Chiffchaff and a Grey Wagtail.

Two Ravens were over Brixworth Country Park this morning and the pair of Stonechat remain in the valley below Hanging Houghton and Short-eared Owls continue to show well near Neville's Lodge south of Finedon.

Regards

Neil M

White-fronted Geese

Greylag Geese

Redwings

Long-tailed Tit

Water Rail

Sparrowhawk

All above images taken at Summer
Leys LNR yesterday courtesy of
Steve Bennison.

Waxwings at Roade yesterday...

Short-eared Owl Neville's Lodge today...

Above four images courtesy
of Robin Gossage.