End of the 'Indian Summer'

Hello

Limited opportunities for birding today but the Ravens were noisy around the village this morning!

A change in the weather clearly influenced the number of passerines seen today and Eleanor's wanderings didn't produce any lingering Common Redstarts or chats.

Steve Fisher managed to count an excellent ten Cattle Egrets leaving their roost at Stanwick Pits this morning, the roost also included nineteen Little Egrets and two Great Whites too.

Yesterday's Wood Sandpiper was still on the scrape at Summer Leys LNR this morning as was a Great White Egret.

A flock of eleven Ring-necked Parakeets in the grounds of St Andrews Hospital, Northampton was notable.

A Dunnock ringed as a juvenile in Greens Norton village on 9th May 2012 was taken by a cat in the same village on or about 19th September this year. An all too familiar outcome for these ground-dwelling birds but this Dunnock was very long-lived at over eight years old (the current longevity record in the UK is ten years seven months).

Regards

Neil M

The humble Dunnock.
Image courtesy of
Dave Jackson.

Ring-necked Parakeets
courtesy of Robin Gossage.

The fabulous Blue Tit.
With the adults just concluding
their post-breeding moult and the 
youngsters just finishing their post juvenile
moult, these familiar little birds are
 once again looking glamorous!
Image courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Juvenile Curlew Sandpiper and surely
a passage individual is due to be found in
 the county any day now?
Image courtesy of Robin Gossage.