Sunday 28 May 2017

Spring Bank Holiday week-end

Hello

Yesterday (Saturday) and Debbie and Eric Graham and Nick Parker visited Thrapston Gravel Pits, spending much of their time on the Titchmarsh Reserve. Collectively they saw a pair of Egyptian Geese (Elinor Lake), one or two Hobby, at least two Cuckoos, Oystercatchers with young, still a singing Nightingale and lots of warblers, butterflies and dragonflies. It would seem that the Wildlife Trust tern rafts are being used by plenty of Common Terns this year.

Kenny Cramer and team have been conducting bird ringing operations at Linford Lakes over the week-end, two days work providing an impressive 118 captures. A large proportion of the captures involved summer migrants with an excellent 29 Reed Warblers, 3 Garden Warblers, 3 Blackcaps, 2 Whitethroats, 2 Chiffchaffs and 3 Cuckoos. More sedentary birds were made up of 3 Reed Buntings, 2 Goldfinches, 2 Greenfinches, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, 4 Dunnocks, 3 Wrens, 11 Robins, 7 Great Tits, 13 Blue Tits, 17 Long-tailed Tits, 3 Blackbirds, a Song Thrush and a Treecreeper. Other wildlife noted included 7 Grass Snakes, Toads and a Great Crested Newt.

An evening visit to Naseby Reservoir (Sunday) failed to locate any birds of note and a gentle walk around Welford Reservoir provided views of an Oystercatcher and an audible 'reeling' Grasshopper Warbler. Another Grasshopper Warbler was singing from a weedy field between Lamport and Blueberry Farm this morning.

Regards

Neil M






Another Honey Bee swarm
as photographed by Jim Dunkley,
and still no stings to date!

Reed Warbler. No less than 29 birds
were processed at Linford Lakes over
the Bank Holiday week-end.

No comments: