Egrets galore!

Hello

Birds in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning included a pair of Stonechats, a Barn Owl, a Green Sandpiper, a Woodcock, a Grey Wagtail and a Peregrine.

A bit of a hotchpotch of a WebS count was completed at Ditchford Pits in very flooded conditions today but we were unable to gain access to a couple of the pits. West of Ditchford Lane there were five Cattle Egrets, two Little Egrets and up to three Great White Egrets, two Egyptian Geese, two Shelducks, two Oystercatchers, a Stonechat, a Cetti's Warbler and a Chiffchaff. East of Ditchford Lane birds amounted to a pair of Stonechats, two Common Snipe, two Grey Wagtails, a pair of Goosanders, a Green Sandpiper, three Chiffchaffs, a Little Egret, a singing Siskin and a Cetti's Warbler.

Earls Barton Pits, particularly Summer Leys LNR and Mary's Lake, attracted plenty of attention today which resulted in quite a list of birds prior to the main event which was the Starling murmuration of at least twenty-five thousand birds around Mary's Lake. Egrets on the reserve during the afternoon included three Great Whites, seven Littles and three Cattle with additional egrets flying in to roost towards dusk which boosted Great White Egrets to nine and Littles to fifteen. At least three Sparrowhawks were attracted to the gathering Starlings and nearby roosting thrushes and other birds included four Oystercatchers, a Redshank, a Dunlin, about one hundred and fifty Golden Plovers, six Siskins, large flocks of Chaffinches and Linnets, a Stonechat and a Chiffchaff. Unfortunately there were two sickly Greenfinches at the feeding station showing early signs of trichomonosis.

Another Starling murmuration pre-roost this afternoon at Stortons Pits was assessed to be between ten and fifteen thousand birds and believed to be one of the biggest roosts there in recent years. A Cattle Egret was on Roadside Pit, Stanwick Pits this morning.

Regards

Neil M

Otter spraint at
Pitsford Reservoir today.

Siskins at Summer Leys
 LNR today courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Golden Plovers at Summer Leys
LNR today courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Cattle Egret at Summer Leys LNR
today courtesy of Neil Hasdell.

Birds of a flooded county

Hello

Birds in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton today included a pair of Stonechats, a Grey Wagtail and at least seven Grey Partridges with a male Siskin again on our garden feeders in the village. A Grey Wagtail and a flock of at least forty Stock Doves were in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth.

A pair of Stonechats and an Oystercatcher were at Upton Country Park today and birds in the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Reservoir included a Woodcock in Christie's Copse and three Ravens.

A very large and impressive Starling murmuration was over Mary's Lake/Summer Leys LNR this afternoon and a Cattle Egret was on the nature reserve at lunchtime.

Seven Smew were again at Eyebrook Reservoir today and a first winter Caspian Gull was at Ravensthorpe Reservoir this afternoon.

Yesterday (Sunday) afternoon two Short-eared Owls were at Neville's Lodge, Finedon and a Short-eared Owl was caught and ringed in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

Regards

Neil M

Stonechats courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Short-eared Owl courtesy
of Michelle Spinks.

New Waxwings and Stonechats on the move

Hello

A flock of nine Waxwings was a great find for John Hunt out at Oundle with the birds still present at lunchtime in hedging alongside the A605 Oundle bypass.

The Cattle Egret was again at Upton Country Park as were a pair of Oystercatchers and birds at Clifford Hill Pits today amounted to a Peregrine, ten Goosanders, two Oystercatchers and two Stonechats.

Stonechats seem to be today's migrants following the Siskins and the Meadow Pipits with approximately ten Stonechats at Hinton Airfield where there was also a male Brambling.

At Summer Leys LNR there were two Cattle Egrets, good numbers of Golden Plovers and two Chiffchaffs.

A male Merlin was in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton late morning and what was presumably the same bird was later seen flying from Maidwell towards Harrington Airfield.

Single male Siskins were feeding on suspended feeders at Scotland Wood, Kelmarsh Estate today plus in our garden at Hanging Houghton.

Two Short-eared Owls showed late on this evening at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell in a field near the horse paddocks. Seven Smew were at Eyebrook Reservoir this afternoon.

Regards

Neil M

Collared Dove.

Little Grebe.

Great White Egret.

Above images courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Jaeger and Rouzel
were on form over the week-end
at a local agility competition.

Cattle Egrets and Starlings

Hello

A Cattle Egret was located at Upton Country Park this morning, two were still at Summer Leys LNR and another was in the vicinity of Stanford Reservoir. Two Goosanders were also at Stanford Reservoir and other sightings at Summer Leys LNR included a Weasel, a Great White Egret, a hunting Marsh Harrier, a Siskin on the feeders, fifteen Golden Plovers, two Oystercatchers, a Chiffchaff and another impressive Starling murmuration this afternoon.

More impressive Starling murmurations were at Crick village and Stortons Pits, so a couple of venues to choose from if you enjoy the swirly, smoke-like etchings against the evening light!

At Pitsford Reservoir there was an immature/female Merlin north of the causeway yesterday afternoon with an adult Yellow-legged Gull near the dam this morning and a Great White Egret north of the causeway mid-morning.

Two Ravens were at Lamport village and Siskins on village garden feeders today included locations at Brixworth and Walgrave. A flock of eighteen Meadow Pipits at Harrington Airfield suggested it wasn't just Siskins on the move today.

Two Peregrines were at Higham Ferrrers church today and single Short-eared Owls were seen at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell and Neville's Lodge, Finedon this afternoon. Fifty Golden Plovers and two Grey Partridges were also noted at Neville's Lodge.

Three Smew were seen at Eyebrook Reservoir today and a large Waxwing flock at Milton Keynes near Wavendon (estimated in excess of seventy birds) were fly-catching today as well as eating berries.

Regards

Neil M

Cattle Egret.

Starling.

Siskin courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Meadow Pipit.

Songsters, amphibians, Peregrines and Starlings

Hello

The mild temperatures of the last few days and gentle weather conditions has stimulated much bird song with the thrush family perhaps being the most obvious responders with Blackbirds, and particularly Song Thrushes and Mistle Thrushes singing strenuously. Last night and this morning our garden pond was hosting the first few active Common Frogs and Common Newts.

On the down-side I watched six Chaffinches in the garden today, all six of them suffering to different extents with diseased legs and feet which makes landing and taking off a painful process. These birds learn to cope as the disease worsens but it effectively shortens their lives and is one of the main reasons why this once common bird has been reduced to the sidelines.

Two more Water Rails were caught and colour-ringed in the Nene Valley today as part of the long term project to understand more about the breeding habitats and dispersal of this secretive species.

At one site in the county today a pair of Peregrines were watched displaying at a potential breeding site and over at Summer Leys LNR a Peregrine was creating aerial art with the flocking Starlings as they came into roost this afternoon. A Barn Owl and a Cattle Egret were seen on the reserve too.

At Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon a second winter Mediterranean Gull was flying around north of the dam and two flocks of Starlings flew high to the east (about 1300 birds), perhaps enroute to Summer Leys LNR? 

Three Short-eared Owls were hunting at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this afternoon - concentrating on the lurid orange weed-killed fields which are presumably due to be ploughed soon.

Four Smew (three drakes) and a Scaup were reported at Eyebrook Reservoir today.

Regards

Neil M

Peregrine and Starlings.

Barn Owl.

Images from Summer Leys LNR
today courtesy of Dave Jackson.

Very mild day in February

Hello

Very mild today and the high temperatures and some weak sunshine provided an opportunity for early butterflies to emerge in the county which included Red Admiral, Peacock, Brimstone and Comma at a variety of locations. Other insects included bumblebees on the wing too.

A Cattle Egret was on the Roadside Pit at Stanwick Pits today where there were also sixteen Goosanders on the main lake. Another Cattle Egret was in the near vicinity of Stanford Reservoir where there was also a Pink-footed Goose seen too.

Wicksteed Park hosted up to fifty Siskins along the river and other birds included a Little Egret and several Cetti's Warblers.

Short-eared Owls maintained their presence in the county today with four still at Neville's Lodge, Finedon and three at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell. A Grey Wagtail and two Green Sandpipers were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton today, a few Siskins were at Kelmarsh Hall and a Raven near New Covert, Kelmarsh Estate.

Regards

Neil M

Robin.

Siskins.

Golden Plovers.

All images courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

A rather wet January (and February)!

Hello

I returned back from a Naturetrek 17 day expedition to Cambodia on Tuesday, my return not helped with an overnight flight followed by a car that wouldn't start at Heathrow Airport...oh well the trials of travel! I made it back eventually and have created an additional page or tab on this blog 'The Best of Cambodia 2024' where images will be displayed.

It has been a very wet and wild winter and even more of this dreary weather remains in the forecast, making it difficult conditions for walking in wet, muddy and slippery conditions.

A Brambling was heard calling in the village at Hanging Houghton this morning and a pair of Stonechats were in the Brampton Valley below the village. A singing Chiffchaff and a Grey Wagtail were in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth and a female Peregrine was hunting at Harrington Airfield.

Three Short-eared Owls were still at Neville's Lodge near Finedon this afternoon and two Cattle Egrets were at Summer Leys LNR.

Regards

Neil M

Short-eared Owls courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Greenfinch courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Blue Tit courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Grey Wagtail courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Quiet Days

First thing yesterday morning you could have been forgiven for thinking it was Autumn.  As I went from Hanging Houghton down to the Brampton Valley Way the mist was hanging in the valley with just the tops of the trees visible.  It really did look like a typical Autumn scene.    By the time I reached Blueberry area the mist had disappeared leaving blue skies and sunshine.   I was very surprised to see 4 Short Eared Owls flying around as I thought that they had moved on due to the fields now being so waterlogged.    My birding was limited yesterday as I  was at an agility competition with  Jaeger and Rouzel who were enjoyed themselves as well as being successful.      But 3 Short Eared Owls were seen there by others in the evening. 

Today I took the same route for my first dog walk of the day and it really felt like deja vue as again there were 4 Short Eared Owls at Blueberry.                                                                 My list of jobs today included topping up the various feeding stations.  I  started at Harrington Airfield and I hadn't even got out of the car before a couple of Robins and Blue Tits arrived and demanded to be fed. Even the Pheasants are joining in.  I  walked slowly through the bushes with the dogs and walking parallel with us on our left were 3 Pheasants.  Every time I stopped they also stopped.  It was all rather bizarre and reminded me of the time, many years ago, when we were in New Zealand on a guided walk to find Kiwi which were radio tagged.  As we walked our guide picked up the  radio tagged Kiwi and monitored it as it walked parallel with us and when we stopped it came extremely close to us.  I can remember thinking "what am I going to do if it walks into us" . It was dark and I thought that I must not scream.  Needless to say the Kiwi didn't walk into us but it was very close.  An amazing experience.  My Pheasant encounter this afternoon was certainly not on that level!!.       As I entered  the first ride from the bottom the 3 Pheasants popped out into the ride at the top. They certainly were not worried by the dogs and vice versa.   The airfield was extremely quiet.  I  did sit in the warm sunshine for a while and watch the world go by which consisted of numerous Red Kites calling and tumbling about in the breeze and a couple of Ravens doing exactly the same.                                                                 Next stop was the wilderness on the Kelmarsh Estate.  I could hear quite a few Siskins calling as I approached the feeders.  I  had barely topped up the feeders before the birds were on them.            Scotland Wood was the final destination and when I parked I was met by an army of Great Tits!!! There were at least 10 Great Tits waiting by the gate along with a Marsh Tit and several Blue Tits. They were very vocal and you imagine them scolding me for being late with their food.     I  lost count how many Blue and Great Tits were around the feeders, they were everywhere!!                                                                                      I  decided to walk back to  Blueberry this evening.  There was an amazing deep red sunset sky. 3 Short Eared Owls eventually showed themselves but it was 17.35hrs and the light was poor. I  couldn't stay any longer as I still had to walk back to the car and as it was the last stretch back was done by the light of the moon and stars.      The 2 Green Sandpipers are still below Hanging Houghton and these birds were flying around in the darkness calling. 

A couple of things of interest. Firstly a ringing session at  Sunderland Wood by Lewis Aaron produced 42 birds,  mostly Tits,  17 Bluetits, 14 Great Tits,  2 Coal and 2 Marsh Tits,  2 Dunnocks and 2 Nuthatches.    Secondly there is a huge Starling murmuration at Crick.  I  haven't seen it myself but it sounds amazing with 100,000 birds being estimated.  Peak time is 16.30- 17.30hrs and best viewed from Church Street,  Main Street or Bucknills Lane area.

Regards Eleanor 

Marsh Tits.

Nuthatches.

All courtesy of Lewis
Aaron and taken at Sunderland
Wood, Kelmarsh.

Wet, Wet, Wet

It has been very wet over the last 48 hours resulting in yet more flooding in the Nene Valley which hadn't really recovered from the floods last month.  Consequently access has been restricted to some parts of Summer Leys,  Stanwick GP and Titchmarsh LNR making birding a bit of a challenge.  The Green Winged Teal remains at Stanwick GP plus a Ruff, whilst at Summer Leys a Marsh Harrier,  Cattle Egret,  Great White Egrets,  Oystercatcher,  Stonechats and Chiffchaff.                                                                                           Yesterday the area below Hanging Houghton resembled a giant lake and the fields at Blueberry and Harrington Airfield resembled paddy fields and remain water logged today with very little bird life.

Very few birds reported from elsewhere.  Caspian Gull at Daventry Country Park,  Pink Footed Goose at Stanford Reservoir,  Jack Snipe and Stonechats at Hollowell Reservoir and a Red Crested Pochard at Earls Barton GP.       Probably the best birds today were a flock of 12+ Waxwings found by Stuart Mundy on his local patch, Dallington Cemetery which then flew towards Cotswold Avenue. 

My heart sank as I watched the weather forecast this evening as lots more rain predicted in the coming days. It's hard work trying to walk the dogs , slogging around the fields and footpaths and then washing them down after every outing. Plus access will be difficult to some of the bird watching sites and the birds themselves disturbed from their regular feeding areas.    Fingers crossed that the rains will not be as heavy as predicted. 

Regards Eleanor 

Green Winged Teal and Shorties

Birds of the last couple of days have been dominated by a Green Winged Teal and Short Eared Owls.   Steve Fisher found a Green Winged Teal on the roadside lake at Stanwick GP during his daily early morning visit and the bird was still present today. Other birds at the site include Ruff, Redshank and Goosanders.                                                 There are still two Short Eared Owls present at Blueberry area which I bump into during my regular visits.  I can still hear the small mammals squeaking which is obviously why they are in the area. However the fields were noticeably wetter today following the heavy overnight rain and  looking at the weather forecast for tomorrow with the predicted heavy rain I suspect that the mammals will be affected and may disperse.    Yesterday there was a female Merlin in the area and today a Peregrine,  2 Woodcock,  pair of Stonechat and significant increase in the numbers of common passerines.                                                                         Other birds reported include 3 Short Eared Owls at Nevilles Lodge, Finedon today, Crossbills at Fineshade Wood,  Cattle Egret at Wicksteed Water Meadows and  Marsh Harrier and Pink Footed Goose at Stanford Reservoir. 

Regards Eleanor 

A New Week

It's been one of those days of juggling dog walking,  errands,  workmen and family commitments so my birding was severely limited. However I was able to enjoy a steady meander around Blueberry area with my 4 legged companions.  It was just nice to be able to stand still and enjoy the evening and in the stillness I could hear lots of squeaking noises coming from the recently sprayed fields indicating the presence of small mammals.  My young collie Rouzel was also listening intently and also fixated on the field in front of me. Just like the other evening I grabbed her and took a few steps forward and in doing so flushed 3 Short Eared Owls which then perched up on the nearby hedgerows.  I suspect that there is plenty of food in the fields at the moment but I'm not sure how long this will last as the fields have been sprayed prior to being ploughed and sown.                The two long standing Green Sandpipers and pair of Stonechat remain below Hanging Houghton. 

Yesterday afternoon I flushed a Short Eared Owl at Harrington Airfield along with 2 Woodcock,  8 Grey Partridge and a single Golden Plover.  A female Merlin had been seen there earlier but not by myself. 

Other birds reported over the last couple of days include drake Greater Scaups at Grendon Lake and Hollowell Reservoir,  Pink Footed Goose at Stanford Reservoir,  7 Jacksnipe, 108 Common Snipe and 5 Caspian Gulls at Daventry Country Park,  3 Oystercatchers at Summer Leys and Crossbills at Fineshade Wood from the wildlife hide.

Kenny Cramer and his team undertook a ringing session at Linford Reserve where 121 birds were processed,  71 of which were new birds and there was a mixture of 17 species.  The day started with 6 Reed Buntings,  which although not an uncommon species at Linford,  usually only the odd one or two are caught per session.  It is likely that the supplementary feeding has contributed to the increase.              The  buntings were then replaced by the finches with 10 Greenfinches, 9 Goldfinches, 1 Chaffinch,  7 Siskins and 3 Lesser Redpolls being processed.                         Elsewhere on the reserve there were at least 11 Great White Egrets and a very vocal Water Rail. 

On Wednesday evening the Northants Bird Club will be meeting at the Lodge Pitsford Reservoir.  It is the annual photographic competition where the members showcase their wildlife photography skills. It is always a good evening and everyone is welcome to come along and enjoy the stunning images and friendly banter. I'm not a photographer but always enjoy looking at everyone else's handiwork.   

Regards Eleanor 

Goldfinch.

Lesser Redpoll.

Siskin.

Reed Buntings.

All images courtesy of
Kenny Cramer.

A Surprise Find !!

I have been out of the county for most of the day competing at a fun agility show with my two collies who had a great time. On the way home I stopped off at Titchmarsh LNR with the hope of catching up with the Ring Necked Duck but I couldn't find it.  I just enjoyed a meander around the reserve watching the wildlife whilst the dogs had a chance to relax. Plenty of Cettis Warblers calling and 2 Chiffchaffs. At least 5 Great White Egrets and numerous Little Egrets around and a very vocal Water Rail.  I nearly got caught out as I'd forgotten how long it actually takes to walk around the reserve and realised that the light was fading fast.  As I was hurrying along I was aware that a dark bird was feeding in a area just the other side of Harpers Brook towards Elinor Lake and it came flying towards me and straight over my head. I couldn't believe it,  a Glossy Ibis!!. With the dogs looking totally bemused I ran back to where we had just come from and caught the Ibis heading for the egret roost and assume that is where it ended up as it was lost to sight in the poor light.

There seems to be a bit of a stalemate with the same few birds being reported over the last couple of days.  Seven Waxwings continue to show well at Priors Hall, Corby and Crossbills at Fineshade Wood from the wildlife hide.  The Greater Scaup remains at Hollowell Reservoir along with 2 Jacksnipe and several Stonechats.  Nearby at Stanford Reservoir a Pink Footed Goose and over at Summer Leys Oystercatcher, Golden Plovers,  Caspian and Yellow Legged Gulls.            The  2 Green Sandpipers and pair of Stonechat are still below Hanging Houghton and yesterday when it was nearly dark I came across 2 Short Eared Owls near Blueberry. I  assume these birds are two of the four birds I found the previous day. 

Regards Eleanor 

Super Short Eared Owl Sunset !!

After a busy morning of errands leaving the dogs short changed I thought that I'd better take them for a long walk this afternoon.  I didn't envisage a three and a half hour walk!!!!   I started off below Hanging Houghton where the pair of Stonechat were perched on the stone bridge over the stream.  They looked beautiful in the winter sunshine and spent a few minutes flycatching before flitting off across the grassy area.  Before heading off I checked the small pool where the Green Sandpipers are often found and they were both sitting there along with a Grey Wagtail.  Then I simply zig zagged around the fields and ended up at the highest point at Blueberry where we all enjoyed a rest. Whilst scanning from here I picked up a female Peregrine.  On my walk I actually saw very little, plenty of Fieldfares and Redwings feeding on the soggy fields, but little else.        By the time I left Blueberry and was on the "home straight " back to the car it was 16.30hrs and the sky was ablaze with a fantastic red sunset. I was just standing at a junction of tracks deciding which way back I was going to walk when I realised that my young collie Rouzel was staring very intently at something in the field.  I quickly grabbed her and as I took a step forward a Short Eared Owl got up from off the ground infront of me,  she had obviously spotted this.  The Owl just flew a short distance away from me.  I then carried on walking and couldn't believe it when another 2 Short Eared Owls got up from the ground.  I had just about recovered when I realised that I had 4 Short Eared Owls flying around me. I have no idea where they have come from or whether they will hang around.    All I know is that they gave me an amazing show against the backdrop of a beautiful deep red sky. They were also very vocal and  constantly calling to one another. Interestingly they were not bothered in the slightest by the presence of myself and dogs.  When I could draw myself away it was virtually dark and they were all settled back on the ground.  Needless to say the dogs were glad to get back to the car !!

Birds that I have seen whilst out and about this week include a Male Merlin near Blueberry,  Ringtail Hen Harrier at Harrington Airfield and the Great Northern Diver at Pitsford Reservoir.   I did visit Priors Hall Corby today but no luck with the Waxwings  ( 6 birds present Tuesday and Wednesday) and noticeably hardly any berries left. 

Other birds around in the county this week, 10 Jack Snipe and 100 Common Snipe at Daventry Country Park,  Greater Scaup at Grendon Lake, Crossbill at Corby,  Cattle Egret at Stanford Reservoir and Caspian,  Yellow Legged Gull and 100 Golden Plovers at Summer Leys. 

Well where did January go to ? Cannot believe that it has been and gone already!! Although not without leaving us with some stunning sunrises and sunsets, plenty of rain, a cold snap followed by abnormally warm days and the poor birds not knowing whether they were coming or going.         I wonder what this new month of February will bring ?

Regards Eleanor

Waxwings.

Fieldfare.

Images courtesy of
Jim Dunkley.

Shorties and Waxwings

Over the last couple of days the most interesting birds have probably been 4 Short Eared Owls showing well at Nevilles Lodge,  Finedon and Waxwings which continue to attract followers at Corby, Earls Barton and Brackmills Country Park. 

Other birds reported include female Ring Necked Duck at Titchmarsh LNR,  male Scaup at Hollowell Reservoir,  Caspian Gull at Stanford and Daventry Reservoirs, Jack Snipes at Hollowell and Daventry Reservoir and at Barnes Meadow LNR. 

Despite being out and about I only managed connect with a male Merlin hunting passerines,  a  pair of Stonechat and 2 Green Sandpipers below Hanging Houghton this afternoon. 

Regards Eleanor 

Waxwings courtesy
of Jim Dunkley.

Ringing on the Kelmarsh Estate

Hello

A ringing session on the Kelmarsh Estate today resulted in 196 birds being processed of fourteen species made up of two Barn Owls, four Blackbirds, a Wren, nine Dunnocks, seven Robins, three Long-tailed Tits, thirty-seven Great Tits, one hundred and six Blue Tits, three Coal Tits, a Marsh Tit, two Siskins, seventeen Goldfinches, three Chaffinches and a Greenfinch. Another Barn Owl was seen and other birds noted included Ravens, a Woodcock, several more Siskins and a Grey Wagtail. A Barn Owl was between Lamport and Maidwell this morning.

Two Blackcaps and two Reed Buntings were in our Hanging Houghton garden today.

The female Ring-necked Duck was on Aldwincle lake on the Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston Pits again this morning, visible from North Hide. Other birds included two Great White Egrets and three Chiffchaffs.

There were six Waxwings at Priors Hall, Corby this morning plus a Redpoll. In excess of ninety Golden Plovers were at Harrington Airfield this morning and a drake Red-crested Pochard was at Ecton Lakes with birds at the adjacent sewage farm area amounting to at least two Green Sandpipers, three Chiffchaffs and a Stonechat.

A Cattle Egret roosted overnight at Stanford Reservoir and was presumably the same bird later seen in a field north of Stanford Hall. Other birds at Stanford Reservoir included a Great White Egret, four Goosanders, two Cetti's Warblers and two Chiffchaffs.

Regards

Neil M

Drake Red-crested Pochard
courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Stonechat courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Barn Owl on the Kelmarsh Estate
courtesy of Michelle Spinks.

January sunshine

Hello

A pleasant sunny day with relatively mild temperatures but with a significant amount of rain overnight.

Single Ravens were at Scotland Wood and Kelmarsh Hall this morning with up to thirty Siskins at the latter site too. Two Green Sandpipers were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton both this morning and afternoon with a Grey Wagtail present too. Two Chiffchaffs and a Grey Wagtail were in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth this afternoon.

At Pitsford Reservoir today the Great Northern Diver was in 'The Narrows'  today and there were two Woodcock and a Siskin in Christies Copse in the Walgrave Bay.

There were still about five Redpolls in Brixworth Country Park today with a Barn Owl in an adjacent fallow field. A male Blackcap was again in our Hanging Houghton garden and two Redpolls were lingering.

Chris enjoyed a run of good sightings at Stanford Reservoir this afternoon with a Cattle Egret, a Great White Egret, two Red-crested Pochard, an adult Caspian Gull and an adult Mediterranean Gull.

The first winter drake Scaup remained at Hollowell Reservoir today, two Cattle Egrets were again seen at Townholme Meadows, Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve and two Waxwings were still in East Hunsbury, Northampton as seen at the junctions of Butts Road and Hedgeway at about 10.40am this morning. A Great White Egret was at Summer Leys LNR this morning where there were still Siskins at the feeding station and Stonechats present.

Five Waxwings were again seen at Priors Hall, Corby (plus a couple of Stonechats) and nearby Eyebrook Reservoir today hosted six Smew (five drakes).

Other birds noted today included a Goosander on a lake opposite Sainsbury's in Wellingborough and the Barnacle Goose and two Stonechats still lingering at Upton Country Park. A single male Crossbill was reported from Fineshade Wood next to the hide and pond this afternoon.

Regards

Neil M

Mediterranean Gull

Waxwing.

Cattle Egret.

Chiffchaff.

End of January birding

Hello

A little rain first thing and mostly dull but mild for the remainder.

A female Ring-necked Duck found at Thrapston Pits by Nick was today's best find...tempting to think it's the bird from Stanwick several days ago and possibly the same wintering female in the Nene Valley the last two winters?

A male Blackcap popped up again in our garden at Hanging Houghton and Ravens were vocal in the village this afternoon.

Pitsford Reservoir still hangs on to the Great Northern Diver which early this afternoon was in Catwalk Bay; a male Stonechat was between Maytrees and the Bird Club hide.

The Waxwing flock at Priors Hall, Corby had dropped back to four birds again this afternoon and four Smew (two drakes) were at Eyebrook Reservoir. The first winter drake Scaup was seen again at Hollowell Reservoir today on the east side of the reservoir and there were three Stonechats present too.

A flock of Redpolls were by the cafe in Brixworth Country Park early this afternoon and the two wintering Woodcock were seen again at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell.

There were two Great White Egrets at Summer Leys LNR today plus seventy-one Golden Plovers and a pair of Goosanders.

Regards

Neil M

Wigeon courtesy
of John Tilly.

Redwing courtesy
of John Tilly.

Kingfisher courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Treecreeper courtesy
of Robin Gossage.