Common Redpoll.

At last a Common Redpoll caught today. See the Charnwood Ringing group site for more images.

Carduelis flammea has paler tips to the G.C., and is greyer than Lesser Redpoll, C. cabaret.

I managed to see Harold the Whooper out of the water for a few moments. He is not rung, but does have two legs!

Redshank elegance.

Two Redshank were present today feeding around the lake margins.

Looks abit odd in this photo, but it is a Redshank.

The juv. Whooper is also still present although it was seen to fly off at 5pm yesterday in the direction of Groby pool. Today the Mute Swans seemed to be giving it less grief.

South east winds bring rewards.

Juvenile Whooper Swan.

Juvenile Marsh Harrier.
I scoped this bird and was able to see its pale head and throat.

At 4.30 pm a juvenile Marsh Harrier was quartering the reservoir and the surrounding woods. It eventually flew behind the woods and may have gone to roost.

Scanning the reservoir I noticed a juvenile Whooper Swan. Initially it was being chased by an adult Mute , but eventually it was left alone and seemed quite settled off Wood Bank.
There is also a juvenile Mute on the res . but it is much darker than the Whooper, with the obvious bill differences.

Adult Male R.C.Pochard

Three adults and an eclipse male R.C.P. were on the res. on 17th. There was also a good count of 70 Goldfinch. On the 18th 4 Grey Partridge were added to the year list and on the 19th a single Snipe was feeding at the top end.

Pink-footed Goose, a Thornton tick!

Adult Pink-footed Goose with Greylag.

Most records of this species in Leicestershire are in January, but a small number are recorded in October. There are plenty of geese on the res. at the moment and it would be nice to think that it is a genuine wild bird from Iceland.

What ever, if Dave can count Barney on his year list I'm counting Percy!

Black Terns at last!

Two Black Terns were at Thornton on Sunday Sept. 25th. My daughter took the shot with her new Nikon. Thanks Jen. One was a juv. and the other an adult. They were gone by the monday.

October Wheatear.

We don't often get Wheatears in the autumn so this adult male was a pleasant surprise. It seemed happy on the cow pat in the October sunshine.

I managed to catch 12 Lesser Redpolls at the weekend.

This group of 25 Greylag have moved in and look quite photogenic on the lake margins. Other wildfowl this evening included 12 Teal, 2 Shoveler, 3 Gadwall, 2 Wigeon and a single Pochard.