Both the 2 White-fronted Geese and Pink-footed
Goose were in the field next to Toft Cottage Farm along the Southam Road from
Dunchurch. They seem to like this field in the morning recently before moving
closer to Draycote Water later in the day but the Greylag flock is dwindling
with only 40 birds present today.
On the reservoir itself then the
Black-necked Grebe was off farborough bank while overnight a good number of
duck arrived and were resting out in the centre with 50 Teal, 30 Wigeon, 3
Shoveler plus male and female Pintail before the first fishing boats of the
morning flushed them off. Still 20+ Goldeneye and a single Pochard male. No
sign of any Little Egrets as we peered through the gloom though 3 were present
yesterday near the valve tower but with high water levels they are easily
spooked by the first walkers or runners of the day. Other sightings included Chiffchaff, 40
Fieldfare and 30 Meadow Pipit
Having taken an hour to reach the
spit we changed our attention away from the birds to the eclipse and with a bit
of a heath robinson idea from Dave we used our scopes and paper to follow its
progression over the next hour.
After the eclipse we moved on to Napton
on the Hill where there were still a few Redwing, 5 Raven, 7 Buzzard, Great-spotted
Woodpecker and a Coal Tit before ending up at Napton Reservoir which was
inundated with Common Gull with at least 700 present along with 7 Teal, Raven
and Green Woodpecker. With the temperature rising we were lucky enough to see
Brimstone butterflies at Napton on the Hill, Broadwell, Dunchurch and on my
estate in Rugby.
