Lockdown Day One

☀️16C ~ Wind ⇐ SE@7mph Tuesday 24th March 2020 ~ So with Brandon Marsh now out of bounds, my Birding holiday in Oregon cancelled and 'lockdown' for the foreseeable future it's down to some marina birding, along with my daily constitutional. To be perfectly honest I'm well off really with the marina grounds to explore, lots of skies to watch, the nearby Napton Reservoir and of course Napton Hill, all within walking distance. I've also got my nocturnal bird recording system set up on the roof and its the perfect time of year for something special to pass through overnight.

Napton Reservoir ~ Just a short walk from the marina

I suppose I've been guilty in the past of neglecting my 'local patch' in favour of Brandon Marsh and this will give me the perfect opportunity to explore it in much more detail. So with that in mind, I'll be posting a daily 'Lockdown' update for my reader and I hope it plays a part in keeping us both sane during these extraordinary times!

Sonogram of a Redwing passing overhead

My overnight recordings on Sunday and Monday didn't produce anything too exciting but the local Tawny Owls were pretty vocal and a Barn Owl came pretty close overhead, nearly deafening me on the headphones! There are still a few Redwings migrating through with four noted and other interesting calls including Lapwing and a barking Muntjac. The first singing bird of the day this morning was the quintessential Blackbird who fired up at 04:56.

Small Tortoiseshell ~ One of my previous pics

Today, my walk included a tour of the marina, two Ravens over, then along the towpath, around Napton Reservoir and passed Calcutt Locks to Ventnor Marina and back. In the warm sunshine, there were a few Butterflies to be found and these included (4) Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell and a Peacock but the highlight was my first Orange Tips of the year, a female on the opposite side of the towpath at Calcutt and a male back at the marina.

Napton Reservoir was particularly quiet with a couple of Chiffchaffs singing, two Snipe flew across the reedbed and the usual numbers of Great Crested Grebes and Tufted Duck and Gadwall. No hirundines during my walk but three Sand Martin passed over the marina in the afternoon.

It's not all bad! Sunset from the stern on day one of Lockdown