I planned to go into Northamptonshire today to try and see four
year-ticks and my first site was to be Cottesbrooke, where I was hoping to see
Hawfinch. After passing through Thornby
on the A5199 the car started to make a rather strange clicking noise, which I
thought might be the fan and so I switched it off and on, which appeared to
stop the noise but as I turned off the main towards Cottesbrooke it felt quite
cold and so I tuned the heater up, which didn’t make a lot of difference. The road to Cottesbrooke is gated and as I
stopped to open the gate I had a warning message come up indicating that the
engine coolant was low. I pulled off the
road and lifted the bonnet and found that the coolant reservoir cap was
missing. The car had been into Sytner
yesterday for a repair and obviously the technician had removed and not
replaced the cap.
I realised that I shouldn’t continue and started to head for home but
stopped in a layby to ring Sytner and managed to get through just after
08:00. I had lifted the bonnet again and
found the reservoir cap resting near the radiator and refitted it.
I parked along the lane near the dam and walked to the dam to view the
reservoir and look for the Slavonian Grebe.
The sun was now breaking through and it was a rather spring-like morning
and rather pleasant. The Slavonian Grebe
had been reported between the yacht club and Pintail bay but all I could find
were a few Little and Great Crested Grebes.
A Grey Wagtail and a Pied Wagtail were observed on the dam and there
were a few Great Cormorant on the water but after about forty minutes I decided
I would go to Ecton Sewage Works and try for the Slavonian Grebe again later.
I approached the sewage works from Cogenhoe and after walking through the
caravan park and over two bridges I wasn’t too sure as to where to go and called
Malcolm, who was familiar with the site.
I found he was in Norfolk with his brother and that they had just seen
an Iceland Gull at Titchwell. He
explained where to go, which was just a few minutes from where I was, and I was
soon on the bridge over the stream where the treated water flows into the
river. I had soon seen at least three
Common Chiffchaff but wasn’t too optimistic about seeing any Green Sandpiper
due to the height of the water. As I
continued to watch the Common Chiffchaff I also had several Long-tailed Tits, a
Eurasian Wren, a European Robin and a Dunnock and a Grey Wagtail also made a
brief appearance. I saw three Red Kite
briefly and I then caught sight of a Green Sandpiper in flight, which landed on
the edge of the stream. I looked at the
sandpiper I found a second a little further down the stream and I had seen both
hoped for species.
European Robin
Common Chiffchaff
Common Chiffchaff
Common Chiffchaff
Common Chiffchaff
Long-tailed Tit
Long-tailed Tit
I decided that I would go for a walk along another path where I had
further views of the three Red Kites and found a Grey Heron and Little
Egret. I returned to the stream again
and whilst watching a Common Chiffchaff saw some movement on the edge of the
stream, which turned out to be a Water Rail.
I had 100% success here and it was time to see if I could get the
Slavonian Grebe at Pitsford Reservoir.
Red Kite
Red Kite
Red Kite
When I got back to Pitsford Reservoir I parked in the country park car
park and then walked north along the shoreline.
I walked far enough so that I could see into the final bay and initially
still couldn’t find the Slavonian Grebe but as I scanned with the bins I
noticed what I thought might be it near the far corner and confirmed it when I
got it the scope.
An excellent day with 100% success on the target birds taking my
year-list onto 142.
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