Saturday 2 April 2016

Here come the spring migrants!

Hello

Jacob Spinks spent much of his time at Pitsford Reservoir today and was rewarded with great views of a calling male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at the very back of the Scaldwell Bay. Other birds on the reserve included two Oystercatchers, two Kingfishers, two singing Willow Warblers, plenty of Chiffchaffs, twenty Siskins and small numbers of Swallows and rather more Sand Martins.

The dam-end of the reservoir continued to attract a Green Sandpiper, a Raven, a Kingfisher and three Grey Wagtails.

Chris Payne opened the nets in his Greens Norton garden this morning and caught a Willow Warbler in addition to his usual garden birds.

Eric and Debbie Graham ventured out on to the Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston this morning, notching up as many as 15 Cetti's Warblers, lots of Chiffchaffs, four Little Egrets and common butterflies.

Two Bramblings were in a Maidwell garden this morning and there were two here at Hanging Houghton again this afternoon.

Twenty Golden Plovers remain in the field next to Blueberry Farm, and the Brampton Valley held a Grey Wagtail and singing Willow Warbler at Draughton and a hunting Barn Owl this afternoon at the Kingsthorpe end of the valley.

A wander around Harrington Airfield this morning confirmed this site's current bird-drought status with just a pair of resident Grey Partridge and migrant Meadow Pipits, Pied Wagtails and Fieldfares all heading north. A vocal Curlew flew over Hanging Houghton and finally a Wheatear was located in the Brampton Valley below the village.

Regards

Neil M




Willow Warbler
courtesy of Chris Payne

Male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
at Pitsford Reservoir courtesy of
Jacob Spinks.
They do exist!




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