Sunday 25 June 2017

Bufflehead!

Hello

On Friday afternoon a wander at Harrington Airfield in the afternoon was mostly uneventful apart from a female Grey Partridge that was fully engaged in a convincing distraction display towards a Fox. She was making a great deal of noise and feigning injury in an effort to lure the Fox away, a sure sign that she has chicks close by. As it was the Fox saw me and made off and I didn't see the chicks but I did hear one. I hope her brave actions mean that the brood still survives.

Yesterday (Saturday) and Eleanor heard the Grasshopper Warbler still singing from it's weedy field between Lamport and Blueberry Farm and saw a pair of Grey Partridge in the same area.

Yesterday a female Bufflehead was an excellent find on the Nene Barrage section of Clifford Hill Gravel Pits. If a wild bird this individual originates from North America where this small duck is relatively common and widespread, at least in the northern states and Canada. Eleanor and I managed to see this bird yesterday evening, it was a very tired soul and was asleep almost throughout the hour we were watching it for. Alert observers earlier in the day noticed a metal ring on one leg which rather than devaluing it's status could provide authenticity of a wild origin if only we could read it!

Other birds noted here included a drake Wigeon, two striking Bar-headed Geese amongst the huge numbers of geese present, a Little Ringed Plover and four Oystercatchers (made up of two adults and two full-size and flying youngsters).

Regards

Neil M



Burnet moth on Common
Spotted Orchid at Harrington
Airfield. I struggle to identify
specific species of Burnet Moth
with at least three species possible
locally, so I'll just call it a
Burnet Moth!



Female Bufflehead.

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