Tuesday Tidings !!

I decided to start my day with a run around the big side of Pitsford Reservoir. It was barely light when I started off and initially I flushed numerous "dozy" passerines out of the bushes and from the track !!  There were 2 Great White Egret together at the back of the Pintail Bay. However I noticed that the water level is now slightly higher and that water is being actively pumped in, which may make this bay less favourable for these birds.  Two drake Smew were in the Catwalk Bay.  As you can see I managed to spot all the "white" birds !!.
I had a small flock of Crossbills fly over calling as I reached the causeway and later I accidently disturbed them from the trees in the Catwalk Bay. Must be worth a closer look for the rarer two barred or parrot crossbill.
Other birds included 4+ Redpolls, 10 Siskin and Grey Wagtail.

Mid morning found me feeding the birds at Harrington Airfield. I only fed them yesterday but know that I have a couple of busy days ahead, so thought I'd better keep the birds topped up.  When I arrived at the entrance there was not a single bird to be seen or heard , but when I checked the ground I could understand why ?  as not a scrap of food left !!! It is a wonder any of the birds could fly after eating the amount I put out yesterday.
I fed them and did a short circuit round the airfield, which seemed quiet.  When I returned to my car the track and nearby bushes were alive with birds, including 10+ Brambling, some of which are in stunning plumage.

We maintain a number of small feeding stations in nearby local woods and other locations and one of many jobs today was to go and top up all the feeders.  So I took my handsome assistant and headed into the woods.  Again plenty of birds around, with Nuthatches, Marsh Tits, Great Spotted Woodpeckers and Siskins being very vocal.  My assistant very kindly flushed out 3 or 4 Woodcock in Scotland Wood, as well as a lovely Roe Deer.
There were also 2 Raven and Red Kite in the area.

I checked the area where the Hume's Leaf Warbler was found and after a good 30 mins of searching it started to call and showed quite well for short periods at a time.
Neil has arranged access to this site for tomorrow.  Please see previous blogs for details.

Regards Eleanor

Blueberry Farm

Hello

Eleanor took a wander around Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this afternoon, the site attracting 2 Ravens, 2 Red Kites, 1-2 Barn
Owl(s) and a pair of Stonechat...

Regards

Neil M

Hume's still present

Hello

This morning the Hume's Leaf Warbler was still present at the restricted access site, hopefully with a view to remaining until at least Wednesday when viewing arrangements are being put in place - please see previous blogs for details.  However the bird showed poorly today and for much of the time could only be heard calling.

At Harrington Airfield this morning one of the Short-eared Owls was still in residence and a dozen or so Bramblings were mobile (with many of them on sown game cover behind the bunker alongside the concrete track).  The Golden Plover flock was flighty and mostly distant.

Regards

Eleanor and Neil

Glauc en-route to breakfast!

Hello

This morning a number of the Northants Ringing Group set up a ringing demonstration on the new Wildlife Trust reserve called Irthlingborough Lakes (part of the Ditchford GP complex).  Over seventy birds were captured, none of which were particularly unusual but a good range of species provided an opportunity for people to see wild birds close-up which is always a privilege.

Whilst we were there a 1st year Glaucous Gull flew west over the pits at 10.10am, no doubt on its way to Sidegate Lane Landfill.  A Grey Wagtail, a Kingfisher, a redpoll sp and a couple each of calling Water Rail and Cetti's Warbler were the only other birds out of the ordinary.

This afternoon the Hume's Leaf Warbler from the last few days was again showing on and off and calling well.

Regards

Neil M

Hume's Access

Hello

Should the Hume's Leaf Warbler be present on-site during this coming week it is planned to provide escorted access on Wednesday 11th December 2013.

It is planned to accommodate three time slots of  9am, 11am and 1pm.

Should you wish to attend please advise me by email:-

neil.mcmahonoriole@btinternet.com

Please indicate which time slot you would prefer.

On confirming the appointment I will provide a rendezvous point and my mobile number.  Please be advised that there may be a delay in me being able to respond.

I will visit the site early on Wednesday to establish if the bird is still present and update Birdguides and northantsbirds.com accordingly.  It is therefore advisable to monitor these websites on Wednesday for any relevant news.

Anyone booking for the 9am time slot is advised to be on-site in any event (the disadvantage of this early slot is that it may not be possible to confirm the presence of the bird by this time).

Future access after this date may not be possible.

Thank-you for your patience.

Neil McMahon

Raptors and owls!

Hello

A visit to Brixworth Sewage Works today provide views of a Peregrine, and two Grey Wagtails amongst quite a flock of Pied Wagtails.

Myself and Baz fed the birds at the start of the track at Harrington Airfield, and it wasn't long before at last 6 Bramblings appeared. There is quite a lot of fallen leaves on the ground which makes it rather a challenge picking out the Bramblings from the orange and gold colours of these leaves.

We flushed a Woodcock and 2 Short-eared Owls on our walk.  I suspect that the Short-eared Owls are very recent arrivals judging by their flighty action.

There were 2 Red Kites over Walgrave village, seen as I opened my parents' front door, after I had visited them.

Poor Baz really wanted a snooze this afternoon, but I had other ideas !!! It was such a glorious afternoon and I couldn't miss the opportunity of a good walk around the Blueberry Farm complex.
There was a tractor ploughing which attracted large numbers of gulls, corvids, Starlings and winter thrushes.  They were very vocal and a real test for my ears!!!  Anyway it wasn't long before there were calls of alarm and chaos as a female Peregrine whizzed through, closely followed by 2+ Ravens.

When I reached the summit of the large field I loitered awhile to give Baz a rest and there was a fantastic sight of 3 Red Kites, the resident white Common Buzzard, a Raven and a Short-eared Owl all circling around in the air together, with the Raven and kites being very vocal.  It really was a beautiful scene.

Other birds on our walk included a Barn Owl, Woodcock and a pair of Stonechat.

Regards 

Eleanor

Hume's Leaf Warbler

Hello

The apparent Yellow-browed Warbler from yesterday was seen today and primarily as a result of it's call has now been identified as the far rarer Hume's Leaf Warbler.  This used to be treated as a race of Yellow-browed but is now regarded as a full species in its own right.

Access to the site remains restricted, but if the bird remains efforts will be made to provide an opportunity for chaperoned access in the near future.

Regards

Neil M

 

Images courtesy of

Neil Hasdell

Winter Woodcock & Co

Hello

Yesterday (Thursday) and a blustery walk at Harrington Airfield was enough to see two Woodcock and about ten Bramblings.

Today (Friday) and two visits to Blueberry Farm, Maidwell provided observations of a female Peregrine, a Barn Owl, two Red Kites, 2+ Ravens, two Woodcock and a pair of Stonechat.  Hundreds of Fieldfares remain on-site.

A Yellow-browed Warbler was heard calling at a private site today - efforts will be made to try and locate the bird tomorrow and if it is still present small numbers of birders may be able to visit the site by way of restricted and escorted access.

Pitsford Res continued to hold birds of interest today, two drake Smew, a Goosander and a Great White Egret were visible from the dam and birds on show from the Old Scaldwell Road feeding station included two Great White Egrets, eight Red-crested Pochard, four 'redhead' Smew, a Black-tailed Godwit and two Redshank.

A ringing session at Kelmarsh Hall today provided 95 captures which included plenty of tits, a Nuthatch, three Bullfinches, thirteen Goldfinches, a Treecreeper and nine Blackbirds.  A Woodcock was seen on our initial arrival.

Regards

Eleanor and Neil

It's becoming colder...

Hello

A day of chores today meant that we were both out of action for much of the time.

I noticed a Grey Wagtail at Pitsford Quarry this morning and later there was a Red Kite circling over Hanging Houghton village.

Whilst at Pitsford Res restocking and organising the feed station at the Old Scaldwell Road, I noted the long-staying Black-tailed Godwit, the Bar-headed Goose and at least 6 Red-crested Pochard in the Scaldwell Bay.

A short birding session at Ravensthorpe Res this afternoon in plummeting temperatures failed to find much of note, the highlights being a Grey Wagtail, a Kingfisher and a Water Rail.

Regards

Neil M

Oldsquaw!

Hello

Today on my early morning run there were 2+ Bramblings, a Grey Wagtail and 2 Ravens near Beck Dairy, Cottesbrooke.  I think that I gave the pair of Stonechat [at the southern end of Blueberry] a fright as it was barely light when I ran past them as they perched on the brambles next to the track!!

Whilst drinking my coffee at home and recovering from my run I had 2 Crossbills, 6 Siskins and probably the same 2 Ravens over the garden.

I found myself running errands around the Wellingborough area so I took Bazra and enjoyed a very pleasant stroll around Sywell Country Park.  It is quite a favourite walk of mine and I think a rather under-watched place.  The autumn colours were quite stunning, mind you so were the birds as I coincided my walk with a brief spell of sunshine.  Two 'redhead' Smew, a Water Rail, a pair of Stonechat, 10+ Lesser Redpolls and 50+ Siskin certainly brightened up the day.

One of my aims for today was to visit Earls Barton and hopefully photograph the 3 Long-tailed Ducks present on Mary's Lake.  I do not remember seeing three of these birds together in the county before and they certainly looked quite spectacular and were showing well - diving, preening, flying and loafing around.  Sadly the light was pretty poor this afternoon.......well that's my excuse for my poor attempts at photographing them!

Regards  

Eleanor

Feeding the birds

Hello

Eleanor's walk at Harrington Airfield this morning failed to find much of note, but a dozen Bramblings were on the seed with other birds by the main entrance.

After a short period of bird ringing in the garden this morning I spent much of the day visiting and re-stocking wild bird feeding stations nearby.  Three Woodcock were noted in Scotland Wood, a private site on the Kelmarsh Estate.

Regards

Neil M

Watch out for European Immigrants!

Hello

A ringing session held in the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Res provided over sixty birds of a variety of species.  Quite a number of Blackbirds included a female bearing a Dutch ring, further proof that many of the Backbirds around at the moment are transient European birds looking for suitable winter quarters.  A male Sparrowhawk was the highlight for many, these fierce and undaunted little predators always demand respect and generate just a little awe.  A Lesser Redpoll was also caught together with a Willow Tit and a couple of Redwings plus six tiny Goldcrests.

Other birds noted in and around the Walgrave Bay included nine Red-crested Pochard, a Kingfisher, a couple more redpoll sp and about six Siskins.

A still and cold Blueberry Farm yielded a hunting Barn Owl and two Stonechats this afternoon and a Peregrine was reported.

Regards

Eleanor, Neil H and Neil M

 

Sparrowhawk

Week-end foray

Hello

Birds noted at Pitsford Reservoir today included 2 Great White Egrets, at least 16 Red-crested Pochard, 2 Redshank, a drake Pintail south of the causeway and a Woodcock.

Blueberry Farm continued to host 2 Stonechat, 2-3 Woodcock, 2 Ravens, a Barn Owl, 2 Red Kites, a female Peregrine and still large numbers of winter thrushes.

At least ten Bramblings were on the seed at Harrington Airfield, at the concrete track entrance off the Draughton Road.  Small numbers of fidgety redpoll sp were present at all three sites.

Regards

Eleanor, Neil H and Neil M

Dank afternoon!

Hello

A dull and dank afternoon failed to inspire, additional birds at Pitsford Res visible from the yacht club amounted to a Great White Egret, 4 Little Egrets and a Yellow-legged Gull.  It was also rather samey at Blueberry Farm with a Barn Owl and the pair of Stonechat being the only birds of note.  Hundreds of noisy 'chacking' Fieldfares there were in their element - plenty of berries and nice thick hedges to roost in.

Regards

N & E

 

Plenty of Goldeneye are

now present at Pitsford Res

including many fine drakes.

Egrets & Co

Hello

This morning I took a wander in to the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Res.  The bird highlights were 1-2 Great White Egret(s), 13 Red-crested Pochard (still including the leucistic drake), 13 Pintail, a drake Goosander, 3 Black Swans, several Little Egrets, a Dunlin, 2 Redshank and a few Golden Plover.  At least one Marsh Tit is regularly at the Old Scaldwell Road feeding station these days and today a Willow Tit was by the James Fisher Hide.

Eleanor flushed a Woodcock along the Brampton Valley Way, again by the Spratton crossing, and 2 Bramblings were also along the Way below Brixworth.

Good numbers of common birds were at the concrete track entrance of Harrington Airfield this morning, many of them bathing in the puddles there.  Birds coming down for the seed at the same place included 8 Bramblings.

Regards

Neil M

Birds setting their stall out for winter.

Hello

This morning a scan at Ravensthorpe Reservoir provided views of the still present leucistic female Red-crested Pochard and a Raven proclaiming its territory.

A visit to Harrington Airfield this morning confirmed the presence of hundreds of Fieldfares stripping the berries off the hawthorns.  Also present were two Red Kites, 4 Bramblings and a Chiffchaff.  Fly-overs included 2+ redpoll sp and a Grey Wagtail.

A single Grey Wagtail was present in Hanging Houghton village.  Single Woodcock were present at Kelmarsh Hall and Scotland Wood.

Birds noted at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this afternoon included a Barn Owl, 2 Woodcock, 2 Grey Partridges, a pair of Stonechat, 2-3 Red Kites and over-flying finches included 5 Bramblings and 2+ redpoll sp.

Scanning from the yacht club at Pitsford Res this afternoon provided views of two fishing Great White Egrets, four Little Egrets and 2 Yellow-legged Gulls.

Regards

Eleanor and Neil

Brampton Valley and beyond...

Hello

Today Eleanor spent some time locally, starting with a run along Merry Tom Lane, along the Brampton Valley Way and around Cottesbrooke to Hanging Houghton.  Birds en-route included about 6 Bramblings near to Brixworth, a Woodcock along the BVW towards the Spratton Crossing, 2-3 Crossbills between Cottesbrooke and Hanging Houghton (Gamboro' Plantation) and 2 Ravens below HH.

A visit to Brixworth Country Park provided views of 16 Lesser Redpolls by the hide, at least 2 Bramblings and another Woodcock.  A walk at Harrington Airfield confirmed the continuing presence of 4+ Bramblings by the shooting wall.

In the meantime Dave Francis was completing a ringing session at the Old Scaldwell Road feeding station at Pitsford Reservoir, the overall session providing 80 birds, with just over half of the birds being new.  Ringing has helped us to confirm that this year at least 166 new Tree Sparrows have made use of the foodstuffs which is provided year-round.

New birds included a Moorhen, 3 Redwings, 6 Blackbirds, 4 Yellowhammers, 6 Tree Sparrows and 10 Greenfinches.

Egrets noted south of the causeway this afternoon included four Little and two Great Whites.

Regards

Neil M

Pitsford WeBs Count

Hello

Today was taken up completing the monthly count of water-birds present at Pitsford Reservoir.

Three or four Great White Egrets were again present - it still has not been possible to see all suspected four birds at the same time!  One showed particularly well just off the causeway this afternoon, causing a small gathering of curious on-lookers taking photos.  Possibly as many as 15 Little Egrets were present.

Good numbers of waterfowl were present, the highlights being 11 Goosanders, a drake Smew (Holcot Bay), a Black-necked Grebe (near yacht club), 10 Pintail and 24 Red-crested Pochard (plus an extraordinary drake RC Pochard x Mallard hybrid)!  Less authentic species included the Bar-headed Goose still and three Black Swans.

Waders were well-represented - a single Black-tailed Godwit, 4-5 Redshank, 40 Snipe, a Grey Plover and a Common Sandpiper.

Other birds included an adult female Peregrine, an adult Yellow-legged Gull, two Kingfishers, 12 redpoll sp, a couple of Siskins, a Grey Wagtail and a Chiffchaff.  One of the adult Great Black-backed Gulls present has learnt to catch fish by diving in to the shallows in a similar manner to a Gannet - the Scaldwell Bay is its usual fishing haunt.

One of the many Little Grebes present suffered predation in the jaws of a large Pike in the Pintail Bay - probably a regular but rarely witnessed event.  The Little Grebe clearly saw the underwater predator because it was sounding the alarm and tried to take evasive action but to no avail.

Regards

Eleanor & Neil

 

Red Fox and escort!

 

First year Great Crested Grebe

 

Lapwing

 

Drake Teal

 

Bar-headed Goose

 

Cormorant

 

Drake Smew

 

Great White Egret

 

Little Egret

 

Little and Large!

 

Vanity is a terrible thing -

he/she clearly admires the reflection!

Ditchford GP

Hello

Today was spent wandering around Ditchford Gravel Pits completing a rather late WeBs count.

Birds west of Ditchford Lane included an adult drake Scaup, 3 Egyptian Geese, a first year Yellow-legged Gull, a first year Caspian Gull, 2 Little Egrets, a Woodcock, a Water Rail, a Kingfisher, 2 Chiffchaffs and 2 Cetti's Warblers.

Birds east of Ditchford Lane included hundreds of Gadwall, 2 Woodcock, 2 Green Sandpipers, a Little Egret, a Water Rail, 5 Kingfishers, a Grey Wagtail, 2 Chiffchaffs and 2 Cetti's Warblers.

Regards

Eleanor and Neil

 

Distant image of the

drake Scaup (centre

bird below the Coot).

Long-tailed Duck!

Hello

Thanks to Neil Hasdell's careful scanning, a Long-tailed Duck was located at Pitsford Res this afternoon, frequenting the Walgrave Bay.  This is a species which has become a very rare visitor to the county in recent years, no doubt linked to a world-wide reduction in numbers.  The bird was still present at dusk, still in the Walgrave Bay albeit it was seen in flight briefly.  Please see Neil's images below...

Other birds noted north of the causeway this afternoon included a Black-tailed Godwit and a drake Goosander, and 7 Little Egrets and 2 Great White Egrets were seen flying to roost.

A ringing session at Kelmarsh Hall today was very busy with 126 birds being caught of 12 species.  Confirming a good breeding year locally, 49 of 50 Blue Tits were birds fledged this year.  Great Tits and Goldfinches were similarly caught in good numbers and again with high numbers of youngsters from this year.  The overall catch included two Marsh Tits, four Coal Tits, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and ten Blackbirds.

Other birds noted included two Ravens, 1-2 Siskin(s), a Brambling, plenty of Nuthatches and a Kingfisher.

Regards

Eleanor and Neil M

Quick look!

Hello

A quick look at Pitsford Res this morning confirmed the continued presence of at least 2 Great White Egrets north of the causeway plus 3 Little Egrets and at least 8 Red-crested Pochard in the Scaldwell Bay.  A Dunlin was heard calling.

A female Peregrine was perched in a tree on the west side of Hanging Houghton this morning, there were 2 Ravens nearby and 2 Red Kites and at least 2 Bramblings near to Beck Dairy, Cottesbrooke.  Harrington Airfield seemed quiet.

Regards

Neil & Eleanor M

 

Common Buzzard

in afternoon sunshine

Blueberry Farm 

Wet, Windy Wednesday

A quick walk at Harrington this morning produced 4 Bramblings, again sitting very quietly in the bushes near the shooting wall. A flock of about 100 Golden Plover were very restless and vocal.  Heavy rain soon put a stop to my birding.

As soon as it stopped I went for a run. This means that I have to rely on my ears and I heard the familiar "cronk, cronk" of the Ravens as two went overhead near Lamport.  The Red Kites were equally as vocal, and there were 3 together near Draughton.
Late afternoon found me and Baz walking around Blueberry, again dodging the showers. The female Merlin was again present at dusk, as well as a Barn Owl and pair of Stonechat.

Neil visited Ravensthorpe Reservoir and noted a leucistic female Red-crested Pochard, a Kingfisher and a Water Rail. At Pitsford Res there were 2 Great White Egrets, one either side of the causeway.

A Woodcock was flushed at Sunderland Wood on the Kelmarsh Estate.

Regards

Eleanor + Neil

Northern Autumn Glory

It was a spur of the moment decision this morning to 'head north'! Following a hasty breakfast I literally bundled the dogs into the car and off we went for the day.

First stop was East Carlton Country Park where the ground was white with frost and the air crisp and clear. Initially it seemed very quiet but then I came across a flurry of activity as a rather vocal mixed tit flock moved through the bushes. As I watched them I realised that there was a number of additional birds quietly feeding on the floor, and counted 10+ Brambling.

Other birds included a male Blackcap, 30+ Siskin, 8+ Redpolls, Marsh Tit, Nuthatches and of course Red Kite.

I then drove the short distance to a large area of rough grass outside East Carlton [Wire Road], where the first bird I saw was a Short-eared Owl. I walked a quick circuit and bumped into a pair of Stonechat, 4 Lesser Redpoll and numerous Red Kites.

Coffee time found me at Wakerley Wood, and suitably refreshed I walked around for just over 2 hours and actually found places in the wood which I had never visited before.

The autumn colours were simply stunning, a beautiful mixture of yellows, gold, orange and brown bathed in the sunlight. The change in temperature meant that the trees were now shedding their leaves rapidly and it reminded me of confetti. I wish that I had taken my camera as I would have had a fantastic picture of Bazra, my collie boy, standing amongst the larch trees in the dappled sun with the fine larch needles gently falling over him. He looked fantastic against this backdrop.

Anyway, back to birding ......it was quiet, just a smattering of Siskin, Nuthatches, Marsh Tit, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Common Buzzard and Red Kite.

A Roe Deer stepped out onto the track in front of us and realised it's mistake and in slow motion it walked back into the trees and melted from view. The dogs took one look at it and thought "too big for us"!

There were some really sheltered areas in the wood and I saw at least 2 Red Admiral Butterfly, amazing for the time of year.

I usually visit the café at Fineshade Top Lodge for their delicious home made soup and today was no exception.  I only walked a short circuit here and it seemed quiet. I did come across 2 Brambling which were feeding on the ground.  My personal observations of the Bramblings this autumn is that there are quite a few about, but that they are not very vocal. They seem to be either sitting around or feeding quietly, just getting on with things rather than shouting about it.

Time to start making my way home, but I still had two further venues to visit. Firstly Blatherwycke Lake, which I always find a strange place, yet there is often something good there. I had to do a double take this afternoon as the first bird I saw was a Great White Egret standing on the grass towering over it's companions, 2 Little Egrets.  This place certainly attracts the geese and there were 100's of Greylag Geese and a careful look through them provided singles of Egyptian and Barnacle Goose. Other birds present were 4 Mandarin Duck, 2 Kingfisher, 12 Siskins and umpteen Red Kite and Common Buzzard.

As I was driving near Bulwick myself and the car coming towards me had to almost do an emergency stop as 2 Red Kites decided to swoop down into the road after a fresh road kill. The kites appeared totally oblivious to the potential danger they were in and played about like two children vying for the best bit of the meat. I wonder if they were youngsters who still have a lot to learn?

Final destination was Fermyn, somewhere I haven't visited for a while. The bushes in the country park itself were alive with Redwings and Fieldfares. I walked through the country park and headed to the Lady's/Souther Wood complex, but I stopped at the obvious open area of farmland where I could look back towards Fermyn and forwards towards Lyveden New Bield.  The fields towards Lyveden were alive with birds -  Black-headed Gulls, 50 Golden Plover, Lapwings, Starlings and corvids . I also counted 18 Red Kite in the air together, an amazing sight, and the sound of their evocative calls simply spine tingling.

A 'ringtail' Hen Harrier was quartering the fields near to Lyveden and a Merlin, on size suggesting a female, caused chaos for a few minutes as she zapped through.

It was difficult to draw myself away, but I had to as I was quite a way from the car with 2 tired dogs and it was dark when we reached the car park, all rather tired and muddy.

I think that the next few days are going to be quiet in comparison to today.

Regards

Eleanor

Grey day birds again...

Hello

Spending time at Pitsford Res today indicated that there were at least three Great White Egrets present but possibly four birds.  Two spent a long period south of the causeway with singles in the Scaldwell and Walgrave Bays at much the same time, however logistics ensured that it wasn't possible to see all the birds at the same time!  About ten Little Egrets also remain.

Other birds include one or two adult Yellow-legged Gull(s), 2 Redshank, 2 Dunlin and at least 2 Grey Wagtails.  Three Redwings and three Meadow Pipits were caught and ringed at the reservoir today.  A Chiffchaff and a redpoll sp were present in the adjacent Brixworth Country Park.

Birds at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this afternoon included a female Merlin, 2 Barn Owls, 2 Red Kites and the pair of Stonechat.

Regards

Eleanor and Neil

Birds of a grey day...

Hello

A little ringing at Kelmarsh Hall this morning resulted in 36 birds being captured in a single net, the highlights being a Goldcrest, a Marsh Tit and 12 Goldfinches.  However John Woollett and his team at Stortons GP enjoyed the exciting capture of a pair of Bearded Tits this morning!

Other birds seen at Kelmarsh this morning included two Ravens, a redpoll sp and 1-2 Siskin.

At Pitsford Res today, the three Great White Egrets were still present (two north of the causeway and one south), the 12 Red-crested Pochard were still in the Walgrave Bay and waders included a Black-tailed Godwit, a Green Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper and four Redshank.  A Chiffchaff, a Grey Wagtail and an adult Yellow-legged Gull were south of the causeway.  A flock of about a hundred Golden Plover was the only sighting of note at Harrington Airfield this afternoon.

Regards

Eleanor, Neil H and Neil M

 

Bearded Tits

Stortons GP

courtesy of

Chris Payne

Pitsford has it!

Hello

A modest ringing session at Pitsford Res utilising the Old Scaldwell Road feeding station produced a nice variety of birds including quite a few Goldfinches and Greenfinches, a Redwing and an adult male Lesser Redpoll.  Birding the site confirmed the continued presence of three Great White Egrets with two birds north of the causeway and a third ensconced south of the causeway on the Brixworth bank.  Other birds included 12 Red-crested Pochard in the Walgrave Bay and 5 Pintail and an adult Yellow-legged Gull in the Scaldwell Bay.  A Shelduck appeared north of the causeway and the day's surprise was three Black Swans touching down and swimming in to the Scaldwell Bay.  Waders were well represented with a gaggle of Snipe, 2 Redshank, a Green Sandpiper and 10 Golden Plovers.  There were plenty of Goldeneye and a Raven was heard croaking.

Birds elsewhere were hard work, Harrington Airfield provided 4 Bramblings by the shooting wall and the Blueberry Farm area yielded just 2 Stonechats and a Brambling.

Regards

Neil H, Neil M and Eleanor

 

Adult Redwing

Pitsford Res

Long-tailed Tits out in force!

Hello

A ringing session in the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Reservoir this morning was enjoyable in the super late autumn sunshine and produced 91 small birds.  Bird of the session was definitely the Long-tailed Tit with 30 birds captured.  Other birds processed included 3 Song Thrushes, 6 Goldfinches, 2 Coal Tits and a Marsh Tit.

Other birds noted in the Walgrave Bay included a Raven, 7 Red-crested Pochard, a Little Egret, a Grey Wagtail and a Kingfisher.

A wander around Harrington Airfield this morning provided another viewing of an immature male Merlin, 2 Crossbills over heading towards Kettering, 8 Bramblings and 4 redpoll sp.

A Sparrowhawk took a Greenfinch off our garden feeder this afternoon, it all happening so quick that I don't think the prey item knew much about it.

This afternoon, birds in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and at the adjacent Blueberry Farm complex included a female Peregrine, 2 Red Kites, 2 Ravens, 2 Barn Owls and 2 Stonechat.

Regards

Eleanor and Neil

November status quo

Hello

A visit to Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon produced the adult Mediterranean Gull in the gull roost again (assumed to be the regular returning wintering bird).  Two Great White Egrets and four Little Egrets were south of the causeway on the Brixworth bank and a Grey Wagtail was in the grounds of the yacht club.

A pair of Stonechat and a Barn Owl were noted at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this afternoon.

Earlier in the day and an exploration of Harrington Airfield only provided heavy numbers of migrating Fieldfares plus four Bramblings.

Regards

E & N

Red-crested Pochards!

Hello

A quick scan at Ravensthorpe Reservoir from the causeway this morning was sufficient to see a leucistic female Red-crested Pochard, a Siskin and a Grey Wagtail.

At Pitsford Reservoir today, a flock of 21 Red-crested Pochard were in the Walgrave Bay at 12.10pm (including a leucistic male), and a Great White Egret was visible from the causeway about half an hour later.

Regards

Neil M

Egrets steal the show !

It has been another one of those autumn days which meant that birding won hands down over indoor jobs......they will get done one day, honest !

I began the day with my collie companions in the valley below Hanging Houghton and walked towards Blueberry. There was certainly no shortage of birds around. There was a constant movement of Skylarks and Starlings, but I think that the most amazing sight was that of literally hundreds and hundreds of Fieldfare flying across the fields resembling a "snow blizzard".
Other birds included 3 Lesser Redpolls, 2 Grey Partridge, Barn Owl, 2 Red Kites, 2+ Ravens, a pair of Stonechat and a few Tree Sparrows.

After brunch I decided to visit Pitsford Reservoir. On the small side at least 20 Red-crested Pochard were easily visible, the males looked stunning in the sunshine. Two Great White Egrets were together in the Scaldwell bay, along with 3 Redshank and 8 Pintail.

I decided that I would walk around the whole of the bigside !! Bazra, my old collie didn't look too impressed at the prospect, whilst Bobbie was delighted to be pushed around and act as my "scope bearer". 

As I walked across the causeway I noticed a group of walkers looking quite intently at something and laughing.  They were watching a Little Egret which was standing on a bed of weed next to the causeway and this bird was really playing to its audience. The bird was dancing about, turning from side to side and not remotely bothered by the people who were within touching distance. It evoked memories of being in the Everglades many years ago with Egrets etc literally walking over our feet.  This bird certainly gave a lot of pleasure to folk and who knows may have ignited a spark of interest in bird-watching. 

Later I was stopped by a couple of folk walking around as they said that they had just seen a "huge White Heron"!, and I was able to confirm that indeed they were looking at a huge White Heron or more specifically the third Great White Egret currently present. We then chatted and they were keen to find out more about the birds and some of the other birds nearby.

Other birds around the big side included a Redshank, Ruff, 2 Dunlin, 10+ Lesser Redpoll and another pair of Red-crested Pochard.

It took me just over 4 hours to walk around and it was dark by the time I returned to my car; a couple of Little Owls were making all kinds of weird and wonderful noises near to the causeway.

Regards

Eleanor