Northamptonshire Bird Club

I decided to chance the weather today and do a spot of birdwatching at Daventry Country Park. Armed with my 'scope I set off to see if the Golden Plovers were still there and to see which ducks had arrived. (I was also hoping to see something rare and unusual, but then, who doesn't harbour that hope every time they set out birdwatching?)

It was with some trepidation that we set out today to complete the first timed visit to one of the two tetrads that I signed up for.  The trepidation was in part due to the dark clouds that were massing and partly because neither of us had done a survey before.

We had planned our route to take the full two hours and take in as many habitats as possible and I think we did pretty well; we managed to include housing estates (old and new), industrial estates, town centre, playing fields, churchyard, reservoir, scrubby fields and old railway track.

After an absence of several months, guilt drove me back to the keyboard. Actually, I had posted a blog a few weeks back but the system crashed and I lost it - and the heart to re-enter it.

Last week, in common with much of Northamptonshire it snowed in Daventry. Although the snow had disappeared by the morning it occurred to me that I can't remember the last time that it snowed in November. The cold weather has also brought a flurry of bird activity to the garden with blue tits, great tits, chaffinches, goldfinches and greenfinches being in plentiful supply.

With the recent north-easterly winds there have been quite a few inland sightings of sea birds, such as Skuas, Sabines Gulls & Phalaropes, (including a Grey Phalarope & a Sabines Gull at Titchmarsh yesterday 28/9).

I was quite optimistic about what I might find today, but was still surprised to see a Grey Phalarope swimming around in amongst the Coots & Ducks, this was a first winter bird with a nice peachy wash to the neck. Whilst watching the Phalarope a group of 10 Common Buzzards drifted past.

Encouraged by the lovely sunny weather I went for my usual walk around Clifford Hill GP.

On the barrage were a small number of Gadwall, Teal, Shoveler & Wigeon, a Grey Heron sat preening allowing me to get a photo. A Green Sandpiper was heard, but not seen.
Small numbers of Meadow Pipits flew over calling as did a Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail and a Great Spotted Woodpecker. A couple of Buzzards and Sparrowhawks were seen soaring on the thermals.

A cool overcast day.

About a hundred House Martins were feeding low over the lakes and river, no doubt due to the cool conditions, a few Barn Swallows were also feeding low over the fields.

A noisy flock of Starlings gathered on the electicity pylons, but they all went silent when a Sparrowhawk flew past.
A scan along the fence posts revealed a juvenile Green Woodpecker which gave good scope views, a juvenile Whinchat (picture from a previous year attached) was nice to see and a female Kestrel sat and preened.

Sightings from Clifford Hill GP

On the main barrage lake, in amongst the Coots, Greylag & Canada Geese were Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Wigeon, Teal, Tufted Duck & Gadwall.
Black-headed & Lesser Black-backed Gulls were on the water & one Common Swift flew over.
The only waders to report were 2 Common Sandpiper & a dozen Lapwing.

Green Woodpeckers could be heard calling and a juvenile/female Northern Wheatear flew across towards the waters edge & promptly landed out of view - typical!

On the tree-lined lake were 2 Pochard.

Despite the hot sunny weather, winter ducks are starting to return with small numbers of Wigeon, Shoveler, Teal & Gadwall gathering.
3 Common Terns, Lesser Black-backed & Common Gulls & were in amongst the Black-headed Gulls.
Waders present were Lapwing, 3 Dunlin, 2 Green Sandpipers & 2 Common Sandpipers.

Along the stream was the usual Kingfisher, a few Chiffchaffs were in the willow bushes & overhead were 2 Common Buzzards.

One of the best things I have done to my garden was to dig a pond. It is now quite mature as it is about 18 years old. Over the years it has been a constant source of interest, and apart from an annual thinning out of weed and every few years, removal of some silt, it does not require much maintenance. It is always in use by birds, drinking and bathing being the most common activities, but it also provides a food source for a number of species. I do not keep fish in the pond as they are voracious feeders on invertebrates and the larvae of amphibians.