Tuesday 14 July 2020

The wildlife of mid July

Hello

Evening birds for yesterday (Monday) included the male Common Redstart still at Harrington Airfield, a Crossbill in Denton Wood (Yardley Chase) and two Curlew and a Common Sandpiper at Earls Barton Pits. A Black-tailed Godwit over Far Cotton, Northampton was detected audibly after dark.

Some time spent at the south end of Pitsford Reservoir this morning (Tuesday) provided observations of a fishing Osprey, a Common Sandpiper, three Yellow-legged Gulls, three Siskins, a pair of Spotted Flycatchers (sadly without young), a Kingfisher, a couple of Little Egrets and at least two Grey Wagtails. Two Stoats were patrolling the perimeter of the Sailing Club grounds causing the birds to be on high alert.

Stanwick Pits provided early morning views of two Cattle Egrets and a Redshank on the Main Lake and this evening a Little Tern was seen initially on the main lake and latterly on the Visitor Centre lake.

At Summer Leys LNR the two juvenile Black-necked Grebes remained in situ as did three Common Redstarts on a private track between Brockhall and Little Brington (present for at least three days). The Common Redstart was still at Harrington Airfield today, this time perhaps a little closer to Bunker One and a Hobby was seen there.

Hollowell Reservoir sported the female Ruddy Shelduck still and a couple of Little Ringed Plovers and late news for yesterday (via Birdguides) was of three White Storks seen in flight at Long Buckby which headed west in the morning.

Neil Hasdell has kindly completed maps for Hollowell and Ravensthorpe Reservoirs and updated the map for Pitsford Reservoir and these can be found on the 'Birdwatching Site Maps' Tab. More maps will follow in due course once site checks have been completed and accuracy is assured.

Regards

Neil M




Stoat on the hunt.




Common Terns at Pitsford
Reservoir yesterday - images
courtesy of Dave Jackson.

 The youngster became waterlogged
and seemingly didn't have the strength to
extract itself from the clingy
surface vegetation. Once extracted
and placed on the stump the adults
continued to feed it and Dave has
captured one of the adults with a
very small Pike as prey - something
I saw myself last week but wasn't
 quick enough to photograph!

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