Birding around the partial eclipse

Hello

Very warm this afternoon, a very clear partial eclipse this evening and autumn migrants on the move.

At Pitsford Reservoir this morning fly-through waders were a Whimbrel, a Turnstone and a Curlew - all calling birds. On Osprey fished north of the causeway and Common Sandpipers included two north of the causeway and two by the dam. Three Green Sandpipers were in the Holcot Bay and visible from Wendy's bench. Three Great White Egrets were stalking the shallows and small numbers of Yellow Wagtails and Swallows were on the move, plus a few Swifts, and at least four Spotted Flycatchers were between the Old Scaldwell Road and the Bird Club hide. A Badger was active in the Walgrave Bay at 11.20am and odonata included Common Emerald Damselfly, Black-tailed Skimmer, Common and Ruddy Darters and Migrant and Southern Hawkers. Two Clouded Yellows were in Scaldwell Meadow.

This evening and a flock of Yellow Wagtails in the Scaldwell Bay numbered at least thirty-six and other birds were at least seven Spotted Flycatchers, an Osprey, two Common Snipe, a Ringed Plover over, a Shelduck, a Greenshank and a Common Sandpiper.

A Quail was seen in flight between Helmdon and Greatworth this morning, about twenty Ring-necked Parakeets were in the Great Billing area of Northampton this evening and a Green Sandpiper and a Little Ringed Plover were at Sywell Country Park. Two Ravens and a Swift were at Abington Park, Northampton this morning and Clifford Hill Pits provided for a Common Snipe, three Ringed Plovers, three Common Sandpipers, a Peregrine, a juvenile Cuckoo and in excess of twenty Yellow Wagtails.

The female Ruddy Shelduck was at Hollowell Reservoir this morning where also a Greenshank.

Birds reported from the Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits today included a Bittern, a Marsh Harrier, two Garganey, a Wood Sandpiper, two Green Sandpipers and a Redshank.

A Glossy Ibis turned up at Summer Leys LNR this morning and a Hobby was seen on the ground there near to water.

Two Common Redstarts and two Whinchats were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton, along the Brampton Brook towards Brixworth, and a Marsh Harrier was hunting in the same area. Two Marsh Harriers together were in this area this evening. Early this morning there was a Barn Owl over the A508 between Hanging Houghton and Brixworth and later a Raven in Hanging Houghton village. A Hobby and two Barn Owls were in field hedges between Cottesbrooke and Hanging Houghton this evening.

Regards

Neil M

Curlew courtesy of
John Tilly.

Yellow Wagtail courtesy
of Tyler Atkinson.

Ringed Plover courtesy
of Tyler Atkinson.

Grey Heron courtesy
of Jon Tilly.

Toasty Tuesday

Hello

A warm day but with a super cooling breeze made it so much more manageable.

A morning walk at Harrington Airfield provided three or four Common Redstarts, with all the birds between the chippings compound and Bunker One. A Wheatear was at Bunker Two and ten Song Thrushes were in a loose flock in the same area as the Redstarts. A passage Meadow Pipit whispered over south and two Common Toads, a Stoat, several Brown Hares and Small Heath butterflies were the non-avian highlights.

A male Common Redstart was at Lamport Hall this afternoon and birds north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir were three Great White Egrets, a Marsh Harrier, an Osprey, four Greenshanks, a Ruff, a Common Snipe, a Common Sandpiper and several Spotted Flycatchers.

Three Common Redstarts were at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this morning plus two Spotted Flycatchers and a Whinchat. Nearby the shrike hedge area in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton provided a Marsh Harrier, a Peregrine, a Hobby, a Common Redstart, a Whinchat and a Wheatear.

The Caspian Gull was again reported from Naseby Reservoir and the Ferruginous Duck and Ruddy Shelduck were both still at Stanford Reservoir.

Clifford Hill Pits this morning produced a Black-tailed Godwit, two Ringed Plovers, a Little Ringed Plover, three Common Snipe, three Common Sandpipers, a Spotted Flycatcher, a Common Redstart and in excess of twenty Yellow Wagtails.

The Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits hosted two Garganey, a Wood Sandpiper, a Greenshank and a Whinchat.

Regards

Neil M

Sand Martins at Summer Leys LNR
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Goldfinch courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Whinchat at Titchmarsh LNR courtesy
of Nick Parker.

Garganey at Titchmarsh LNR
courtesy of Nick Parker.

Can't be found, won't be found!

Hello

Sometimes, despite being very much in migration season, there are days when no matter how hard you look somehow the birds seem to be absent or impossible to find. Today was one of those days with blanks at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell, the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and the usual spots at Lamport Hall appearing as birdless zones! Oh well there is always tomorrow!

Stanford Reservoir still showed off it's female Ferruginous Duck and Ruddy Shelduck with a supporting cast of four Green Sandpipers, two Common Sandpipers and a Common Snipe.

The adult Caspian Gull was at Naseby Reservoir before flying off south and waders there were five Common Snipe, three Green Sandpipers and four Common Sandpipers. An Osprey and a Dunlin were at Hollowell Reservoir.

A patrolling Osprey was visible from the dam at Pitsford Reservoir at 12.30pm and a juvenile Marsh Harrier was hunting over fields between Hanging Houghton and Scaldwell villages this morning. An afternoon walk at Harrington Airfield was sufficient to find a Marsh Harrier and two or three Common Redstarts. A Hobby was escorted by a flock of Swallows in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth.

In the Nene Valley there was a Caspian Gull, a Marsh Harrier, a Green Sandpiper, two or three Common Sandpipers, four Common Snipe and a Wigeon at Summer Leys LNR.

Three Black-tailed Godwits were at Clifford Hill Pits and a Wood Sandpiper and a Greenshank were at the north end of the Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits.

Regards

Neil M

A juvenile Carrion Crow
with crossed mandibles
courtesy of John Tilly.

A Kingfisher caught and ringed
yesterday at Brixworth.

A portrait of the humble but
very successful Woodpigeon.

Ringing the next generation

Hello

Some bird ringing over the weekend at Linford Lakes, Milton Keynes provided one hundred and fifty-seven birds of twenty-one species. Only fourteen of these birds had been previously ringed. Warbler highlights were twenty-six Blackcaps, seven Garden Warblers, five Common Whitethroats, five Lesser Whitethroats, twelve Reed Warblers, four Sedge Warblers, four Chiffchaffs and twelve Willow Warblers. Fourteen Greenfinches and six Goldfinches continued the good run of finches on-site. Other birds were two Goldcrests, a Kingfisher and a re-trap Bullfinch plus a juvenile Pied Wagtail.

At Brixworth Treatment Works another ringing session provided one hundred and twenty-five captures with warblers dominating made up of twenty-nine Common Whitethroats, a Lesser Whitethroat, singles of Sedge and Reed Warbler, two Garden Warblers, ten Blackcaps, two Willow Warblers and eighteen Chiffchaffs. Other highlights were another re-trap Bullfinch, ten Goldfinches, three Grey Wagtails (of about five/six present) and a Kingfisher.

At Stanford Reservoir today the Ferruginous Duck re-appeared and other sightings were a Common Snipe, three Common Sandpipers, a Hobby, three Raven, twenty-five Yellow Wagtails and a Cetti's Warbler.

A Caspian Gull and up to seven Yellow-legged Gulls visited Priors Hall Lake, Corby this morning and at least two Spotted Flycatchers were at Old Quarry Wood, Priors Hall.

A Wood Sandpiper, a Greenshank and a Pintail were at Titchmarsh LNR, Thrapston Pits. Clifford Hill Pits hosted a Common Snipe, a Great White Egret, a Common Sandpiper and twenty Yellow Wagtails. At Summer Leys LNR two Cattle Egrets flew towards Hardwater Mill and two Hobbies were active. Eight Grey Partridges were on the scrape.

A Marsh Harrier was at Kinewell Lake, Ringstead Pits where also Small Red-eyed Damselflies were showing as was a Lesser Emperor.

At least ten Spotted Flycatchers were roaming between the Old Scaldwell Road and the Bird Club hide at Pitsford Reservoir, and where also a Greenshank.

A Common Redstart was along the south perimeter hedge at Cold Ashby Golf Club, and a male Common Redstart and about ten Spotted Flycatchers were at Lamport Hall with still the Spotted Flycatcher family in gardens in Hanging Houghton village. Two Common Redstarts were at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell and the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton provided a Marsh Harrier, a Common Redstart and a Siskin.

A Hobby was over Great Oxendon.

Regards

Neil M

Lesser Whitethroat.

Pied Wagtail.

Willow Warbler.

Images courtesy of
Kenny Cramer.

Birds of warm air and parched land

Hello

Another warm day with varying amounts of wind and some cloud made for high humidity.

At Stanford Reservoir today the bird ringers processed an astonishing four hundred and forty-five new birds, the majority of them being migrant warblers. The Ruddy Shelduck was still there and other sightings were four Common Sandpipers, a Common Snipe, a Kingfisher and seven Yellow Wagtails.

A juvenile Yellow-legged Gull was noted at Sywell Country Park and birds north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir were four Great White Egrets, two Greenshanks, a Green Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper, a Common Snipe, a Shelduck, two or three Spotted Flycatchers and five Yellow Wagtails.

Three Grey Wagtails and a Raven were in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth and a family of Spotted Flycatchers and a Raven were in Hanging Houghton village, with vocal Little Owls pre-dawn and again this evening.

A Marsh Harrier and a Barn Owl were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning and two juvenile Marsh Harriers were again by shrike hedge this evening.

A Marsh Harrier and two or three Common Redstarts were at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell late this afternoon.

Ten Grey Partridges and a Raven were at Harrington Airfield today and a Kingfisher was at Harlestone Lake where both Small Red-eyed Damselfly and Willow Emerald Damselfly were on show.

Summer Leys LNR attracted a Goosander, two Hobby and a Common Sandpiper and both Clouded Yellow butterflies and Hummingbird Hawk-moths remain widespread.

Regards

Neil M

Spotted Flycatcher.

Juvenile Willow Warbler.

Meadow Brown butterfly.

All images from Pitsford Reservoir
yesterday courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Ringing at Woodford Halse

Hello

A ringing session at Woodford Halse today successfully processed one hundred and forty-two birds of fifteen species. A large proportion of those were Blue and Great Tits but highlights included an adult male Grey Wagtail, a Kingfisher and just a handful of common warblers. A Cattle Egret was observed flying over and a Raven was heard calling.

At Clifford Hill Pits early morning birds were a male Common Redstart in the south-west corner of the complex plus two Common Snipe and a Common Sandpiper

A Garganey was located on the Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits this morning and visible from North Hide on the Aldwincle Lake.

The Ruddy Shelduck remained at Stanford Reservoir today where there was a fly-through Greenshank, six Common Sandpipers, two Green Sandpipers, three Ravens and two Kingfishers.

Birds north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir were a Greenshank, a Green Sandpiper, five Great White Egrets and a Hobby.

Hollowell Reservoir attracted a Greenshank and singles of Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper and Dunlin. Two Greenshanks and a Common Sandpiper were at Sulby Reservoir with the adult Caspian Gull and two Green Sandpipers at Naseby Reservoir. Nearby two Common Redstarts were at Honey Hill, Cold Ashby.

A family party of Spotted Flycatchers remained around The Green at Hanging Houghton and two Common Redstarts and at least eight Spotted Flycatchers were in the usual spot at Lamport Hall.

Two juvenile Marsh Harriers were together in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton, next to shrike hedge this evening and there was one Marsh harrier and a Common Redstart there this morning. Two Common Redstarts were at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this morning and mid-morning at Harrington Airfield provided three Common Redstarts, two Whinchats, a Peregrine and a fresh brood of Grey Partridges.

Three Common Redstarts were still in hedgerows off the footpath running south of Old, Cherry Hill and Walgrave and there were at least twenty Clouded Yellows in the lucerne fields there. Two more Common Redstarts were still off a byway west of Glassthorpe Hill, a km north of Upper Heyford.

Regards

Neil M

Young Woodpigeon.

Kingfisher.

Adult male Grey Wagtail.

Images courtesy of Chris Payne.

A relatively quiet start to August

Hello

Another quiet day in the county and with cooling temperatures too.

Two Great White Egrets and two Ravens were north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir this morning and a Grey Wagtail was in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth.

A Garganey was still at Summer Leys LNR and waders there included a Black-tailed Godwit, three Common Snipe, a Greenshank, a Green Sandpiper and a Common Sandpiper. Two Hobby, two Egyptian Geese and a Water Rail were all noted.

Clifford Hill Pits provided a Black-tailed Godwit, a Raven, a Peregrine and over twenty Yellow Wagtails.

Two Common Redstarts were at Honey Hill, Cold Ashby and nearby Naseby Reservoir provided the usual adult Caspian Gull, a Ringed Plover and two Green Sandpipers.

The Ruddy Shelduck was still at Stanford Reservoir where also a Swift and over twenty-five Common Terns.

Yet another Tawny Owl lies dead alongside the A508, this time near Hanging Houghton, and is probably another victim of the current night closures on the A14 with trucks and other traffic diverted along the A508 on a regular basis.

Regards

Neil M

Puffins.

Razorbill.

Images courtesy of Robin Gossage
following a successful photographic
venture to Skomer in the summer.

The summer heat continues into autumn

Hello

Birds north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir this morning amounted to a Great White Egret, a Green Sandpiper, a Kingfisher, an adult Yellow-legged Gull and a Raven. Larger odonata included Blue Emperor, Brown Hawker and Migrant Hawker.

The birding at Stanford Reservoir proved better with the Ferruginous Duck still, the female Ruddy Shelduck, three Green Sandpipers, three Common Sandpipers, a Common Snipe, a Tree Sparrow and a Clouded Yellow.

A Garganey remained at Summer Leys LNR and a Whimbrel was at Daventry Country Park with a Common Sandpiper and a Common Snipe at Boddington Reservoir.

A Black-tailed Godwit was still at Sulby Reservoir with two Snipe and a Common Sandpiper and Hollowell Reservoir provided sightings of three Ospreys together, a juvenile Mediterranean Gull and thirteen Little Egrets.

Clifford Hill Pits was the venue for a Black-tailed Godwit, a Green Sandpiper, two Common Sandpipers, a Dunlin, two Little Ringed Plovers, a Common Redstart and a possible fly-over Tree Pipit.

A Hobby was in Corby old village and a Green Sandpiper was a surprise find at Boughton Pocket Park!

A family party of Spotted Flycatchers and an additional group of Spotted Flycatchers were in Hanging Houghton village, and a family of Grey Partridges were near Lodge Farm (between Lamport and Brixworth). Two Grey Wagtails were in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth.

At Sywell Country Park there were Spotted Flycatchers in trees by the car park/stream and with two Little Ringed Plovers on the west bank. A Raven was at Harlestone Heath.

Two Common Redstarts and three Spotted Flycatchers were amongst a roving warbler flock in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton, heading towards Cottesbrooke this morning. Gamboro' Plantation provided four more Spotted Flycatchers and two Siskins and a Clouded Yellow and three Common Redstarts and a Marsh Harrier remain around Blueberry Farm, Maidwell.

A worn male Marsh Harrier was today at Harrington Airfield where also two or three Common Redstarts, a Wheatear and a Grey Partridge with ten tiny chicks.

Regards

Neil M

Kingfisher courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Striped Hawk-moth courtesy
of Chris Green.

Jersey Tiger courtesy of
Chris Green.

Global warming and the heat of this
summer is providing exotic moths from
the south, some of which are rapidly
extending their breeding range north.

Yellowhammer courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Quality birding in the heat

Hello

Another day where the temperatures reached 30C locally and with little reprieve in sight.

Pitsford Reservoir seemed relatively quiet today with the foreshore covered in green mats of vegetation rather than the wet mud that we hope for. A Great White Egret and a Raven were noted north of the causeway.

Stanford Reservoir retained it's Ferruginous Duck, Ruddy Shelduck and Black-necked Grebe, plus four Common Sandpipers, two Great White Egrets and two Spotted Flycatchers.

The two Spotted Redshanks were still at Daventry Country Park today and the two Garganey were still on the main scrape at Summer Leys LNR, where also a Green Sandpiper, and a Bittern showed well this evening in front of Pioneer Hide.

Hollowell Reservoir attracted fifteen Yellow Wagtails plus a Green Sandpiper and a Common Sandpiper. Two Common Redstarts remain at Honey Hill, Cold Ashby and five different individual Common Redstarts were seen at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell during two separate visits today. Two Spotted Flycatchers were also there and nearby at Gamboro' Plantation there was a Common Redstart and at least four Spotted Flycatchers.

The Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton provided sightings of a juvenile Marsh Harrier, a Hobby, a Common Redstart, a Wheatear and four Lapwings this morning and this evening there were three Marsh Harriers on view at the same time - two juveniles and a moulting adult male.

Birds at Clifford Hill Pits this morning were a Common Redstart, a Common Redshank, a Common Sandpiper, a Common Snipe and fifteen Yellow Wagtails.

Regards

Neil M

Ruff.

Fulmar.

Woodpigeon.

Juvenile House Sparrow.

A few images from my short trip to Norfolk last week.

Bird Ringing at Harrington Airfield

Hello

Some ringing at a very dry Harrington Airfield this morning provided eighty-three captures of seventeen species with perhaps the highlights being a juvenile Green Woodpecker, two adult Common Redstarts, twenty-five Common Whitethroats, two Lesser Whitethroats, two Sedge Warblers, a Willow Warbler and sixteen Linnets. A Raven was seen and butterflies were numerous with Common Blue, Small Heath, Painted Lady and a couple of Clouded Yellows, mostly attracted to the knapweed meadows.

Two further Common Redstarts and a couple of Clouded Yellows were located at Borough Hill Country Park, Daventry and with still some Common Redstarts at Honey Hill, Cold Ashby.

The Ferruginous Duck and the Ruddy Shelduck were still at Stanford Reservoir today plus two or three Green Sandpipers and a couple of Kingfishers, and an Osprey flew through late morning.

Two Spotted Redshanks were still at Daventry Country Park early this morning plus four Little Ringed Plovers, a Dunlin and five Common Sandpipers.

A Cattle Egret and two Garganey were at Summer Leys LNR and Clifford Hill Pits supported a Green Sandpiper and a Common Sandpiper with two Black-tailed Godwits flying through, two Common Redstarts and seventeen Yellow Wagtails.

Birds in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning included the regular juvenile Marsh Harrier, a Common Redstart and two Whinchats. The Spotted Flycatchers in Hanging Houghton village have successfully fledged their second brood, although the tiny youngsters appear to have fledged prematurely. Another pair were in an orchard at East Farndon.

Regards

Neil M

Sunrise at Harrington Airfield this morning.

Adult female Common Redstart.

Adult male Common Redstart
courtesy of Olivia Neilson.

A young male Green Woodpecker
courtesy of Olivia Neilson.

West is best today!

Hello

It seems that Stanford Reservoir and Daventry Country Park were the places to be today!

Birds at Stanford included two juvenile Black-necked Grebes, the female Ferruginous Duck again, the female Ruddy Shelduck, an Osprey, a Marsh Harrier, two Green Sandpipers, two Common Sandpipers, a juvenile Shelduck and a Common Snipe. Bird ringers on-site processed a staggering total of 320 new birds as the warblers simply pour through.

At Daventry Country Park it seems that one of the Black-necked Grebes was again seen and quality waders included two Spotted Redshanks, five Black-tailed Godwits, four Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper and three Little Ringed Plovers.

A Marsh Harrier was in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this evening and a Common Redstart was at Bunker Two, Harrington Airfield where some bird ringing tomorrow will restrict access to the bunker areas between the Chippings Compound and the concrete track. The concrete track itself is unaffected. A Spotted Flycatcher and a Little Owl were in Hanging Houghton village.

Common Redstarts were discovered at Cosgrove Park and Kislingbury Pits and a Wheatear was at Upton Country Park. Two Ring-necked Parakeets were noted at Moulton Leys today.

At least one Garganey was still at Summer Leys LNR today with two Spotted Flycatchers at the Doddington Road entrance.

Regards

Neil M

Common Darter.

Common Snipe courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Juvenile Marsh Harrier
courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Still no real rain in the forecast

Hello

Another quiet day in the county. I've been in North Norfolk the last two days and there is clearly some heavy passage of waders currently, a large post-breeding dispersal of gulls and hirundines and with Swifts on the move along the coast.

Locally and the returning colour-ringed Caspian Gull is already settled it seems at Naseby Reservoir and the two Garganey remain on the scrape at Summer Leys LNR.

A Juvenile Black-necked Grebe was at Stanford Reservoir, continuing the excellent run of sightings in the county this year.

Two or three Common Redstarts were at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell with another in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton. A juvenile Marsh Harrier was moving around the whole area.

A Grey Wagtail was at Pitsford Quarry and a recent sighting of a colour-ringed Mute Swan at Ditchford Pits confirms it is at least eighteen years old, first ringed at Wellingborough in 2010.

Clouded Yellow butterflies are still appearing in the county with six at Ring Haw today and two in Scaldwell Meadow at Pitsford Reservoir.

Regards

Neil M

Common Redstarts recently at
Honey Hill, Cold Ashby courtesy
of Stuart Munday.

Clouded Yellow and Hummingbird
Hawk-moth at Summerleys LNR today
courtesy of Tony Stanford.