Out at first light with Dave to the grandborough valley which was calm and quiet with only Little Owl and Red-legged Partridge calling until 7:30am when the first of 200+ winter thrushes went over and this movement was continued in the hour we spent at Draycote Water with 600 Fieldfare and 400 Redwing all heading south west. There were also smaller numbers of Meadow Pipit and Skylark doing the same thing. Met up with Steve Valentine who had seen the Shag and first winter Little Gull earlier while we were searching the café walls for moths and managed 2 Feathered Thorn and my first ever Sprawler. Unfortunately it was a worn individual but my poor quality photos showed the key head and leg markings to clinch a tick.
Feathered Thorn
After breakfast we all went to Brandon Marsh and more thrushes were seen going over on route but the predicted cold weather front arrived and with the wind increasing and cloudier this put paid to any more visual migration and Brandon could only offer the long staying Black-tailed Godwit, 15 Snipe, 2 Sparrowhawk, 20 Siskin and 5 Jay’s.
Change of scene in the afternoon with a walk around Fineshade Wood, Northamptonshire with Red Kite 17, Marsh Tit 2, Nuthatch 3, Siskin 20, Stonechat and female Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and Barn Owl flew across the A14 on the way home..
Richard
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