Sunday 22 September 2013

Week-end update

Hello

On Saturday evening birds in the Blueberry Farm area included a Short-eared Owl, a female Peregrine and 6 Whinchats.

This morning (Sunday) and birds located at Harrington Airfield included a Turtle Dove, a Wheatear and 2 Whitethroats.  There was a heavy diurnal movement of Skylark, Meadow Pipit and hirundines and good numbers of Yellowhammer on-site.

Birds noted north of the causeway at Pitsford Res this morning included 5 Little Egrets, a Raven and 2 Hobbies and there was also a heavy passage of hirundines here too.  A ringing session based at the Old Scaldwell Road feeding station caused over fifty birds to be caught and processed, the highlights being a Spotted Flycatcher, a Meadow Pipit, Tree Sparrows, a Reed Warbler and 6 Chiffchaffs.

Looking up this week-end and it was impossible not to notice an increase in flying machines, apparently in preparation for a flying event based at Sywell next week-end.

A couple of Siskins were present at Hanging Houghton and the buddleia was alive with butterflies including Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Comma, Small Tortoiseshell and others.  A scour of the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and up to Blueberry Farm (Maidwell) this afternoon produced some good birds including a juvenile Marsh Harrier which flew towards Haselbech at 4pm, a male Merlin, 2 Hobbies, 2 Red Kites, 4+ Whinchats and 2 Whitethroats.

Regards

Eleanor and Neil





 
Comma

 
Spotted Flycatcher

 
Treecreeper

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