THURSDAY 9 JANUARY
After completing my Birdwatching
review of the month, I set forth into the northern part of the county in search
of birds. It had been the first complete day without rain in over two weeks and
was fairly mild at 8 degrees C. There was some long spells of winter
sunshine.
A Eurasian Sparrowhawk whipped across the
A509 at SHERINGTON whilst at EMBERTON PARK LAKES (SP 8850), the 20 GOOSANDER
were still present. The Ouse was terribly swollen and had burst its banks,
flooding over into the park (see pic) and surrounding fields. Other waterbirds
present included 22 Mute Swans, 26 Atlantic Canadas, a single Greylag Goose, the
injured Barnacle Goose, 42 Mallard, 8 Gadwall, 16 Tufted Duck, 2 Northern
Pochard, just 2 Coot, 6 Moorhen and a Little Grebe, whilst the flooded fields
had attracted 46 Common Starlings, 96 Fieldfare and 38 Redwings; Reed Bunting
(pictured), Wren, Grey Heron, 140 Black-headed Gull, 3 Woodpigeon and Common
Magpie all recorded too.
My best shots of a Greylag Goose thus far
A lot of Fieldfare about
...and severe flooding in the park
I then drove north into NORTHAMPTONSHIRE,
birding the eastern pit complex of EARLS BARTON GP at MARY'S LAKE (SP 89 64).
The long-staying GREAT WHITE EGRET was showing very well feeding along the
well-vegetated edge of the gravel pit immediately south of Mary's Lake, whilst
all 3 juvenile LONG-TAILED DUCKS were together on the main lake.
22 Mute Swans, Grey Heron, 5 Great Crested
Grebe, 3 Pochard, 39 Tufted Duck, an impressive raft of 18 Common Goldeneye (the
drakes in head-throwing back display), redhead GOOSANDER (roosting on the north
bank of Mary's Lake), Coot, Moorhen, Sparrowhawk and 2 Bullfinch were also
recorded.
Back in NORTH BUCKS at LINFORD NR, just 2
NORTHERN PINTAIL (a pair) remained with 238 Eurasian Wigeon from Near Hide, but
there was no sign of any black-capped tits at the feeding station at Woodland
Hide. Again, site in heavy flood, but 22 Mute Swans (including a family party of
7), 234 Greylag Geese, 64 Teal, 14 Gadwall, 2 Shoveler, 72 Coot, 2 WATER RAIL, 3
Grey Heron, 84 lapwing and a Common Buzzard all noted, with a large roost of
Fieldfare (240) and Redwing (80) at dusk
