Sunday 8 May 2016

And warmer again...

Hello

John Woollett and team committed to some ringing at Stortons Gravel Pits this morning and warblers made up the major part of the catch. Forty-seven birds were captured with 13 Reed Warblers, 14 Sedge Warblers, a Garden Warbler, 2 Whitethroats, 5 Blackcaps and 4 Cetti's Warblers. One of the Reed Warblers was pretty ancient, first being ringed there as an adult way back in 2006!

Nick Wood completed a Breeding Bird Survey at Chase Park Farm, Yardley Chase today, a survey he has been completing there since 2007. For the first time ever, today he located a singing Nightingale on the survey plot.

Another BOS Long Day Count was completed today, this time it being the turn of SP55 to the south and west of Daventry. Fawsley Park is key to the diversity of species in this part of the world and today birds there included a Common Sandpiper, two or three Mandarin Ducks, a Grey Wagtail, Raven, at least one Kingfisher, Tawny and Little Owls, Water Rail and a Spotted Flycatcher. Almost certainly the best bird of the day, had it been confirmed, was a possible Serin which flew over at 5.50am this morning. The call was good but the bird wasn't located overhead in time and instead was depicted as a small finch bounding away and not to be seen or heard of since. Without at least some visual characteristics in addition to the flight call, it was another one of those that got away. Frustrating but that's birding sometimes!

A walk up to and around Badby Wood was worth it just to see the carpets of Bluebells, but more good birds here included a mobile singing Redstart and another Spotted Flycatcher.

Other sites in SP55 yielded Tree Sparrow, an adult male Peregrine, Yellow Wagtails and Lesser Whitethroats.

A Black Tern was again present in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir today and a pale, dark-billed tern as seen with the Common Terns by Jacob Spinks defied identification...

Regards

Neil M


The Bluebells of
Badby Wood.

Drake Mandarin Duck
Fawsley Park.

All images courtesy of
Cathy Ryden.

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