Birds of arid Northamptonshire

Hello

A cooler day today, again windy and cloudy for much of the morning.

Birds at Stanford Reservoir today were the female Ruddy Shelduck again, three Common Sandpipers, an adult Common Gull and twenty-five Pied Wagtails around the dam.

At Pitsford Reservoir there were two adult Yellow-legged Gulls off the dam plus a Hobby and a Raven with four Great White Egrets visible north of the causeway.

A Cattle Egret was at Thrapston Pits today, initially on the Titchmarsh reserve and then on Town Lake.

A juvenile Common Redstart was found at Summer Leys LNR this evening 'at footbridge on the track' and a possible Large Tortoiseshell butterfly seen earlier would be an impressive record if confirmed.

Clifford Hill Pits hosted a Black-tailed Godwit, a Green Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper and four Little Ringed Plovers early this morning.

This morning there were two Common Redstarts at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell with another Common Redstart and a Stonechat at shrike hedge in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton. This evening there were two Spotted Flycatchers and a family of Barn Owls in the valley, again below Hanging Houghton.

A juvenile Marsh Harrier and at least two and possibly up to four Common Redstarts were at Harrington Airfield early this afternoon, the redstarts between the Chippings Compound and Bunker Two.

Regards

Neil M

Juvenile Pied Wagtail.

Female and male Greenfinches.

Above images courtesy
of John Tilly.

Scoters, odonata and more Redstarts.

Hello

After a cloudy start it became sunny again and the wind strength was strong.

A very early find at Clifford Hill Pits this morning were two Common Scoters on the main pit. The two juvenile Common Redstarts were still on the west side of the complex and a Common Sandpiper was also present.

Thirteen Black-tailed Godwits were at Summer Leys LNR early this morning.

Two Green Sandpipers were at Deene Lake and in the Welland Valley just south of Gretton Weir there was an adult male Common Redstart, a couple of Grey Wagtails, good numbers of White-legged Damselflies and plenty of Banded Demoiselles with several Brown Hawkers and Blue Emperors too.

Three Ringed Plovers were seemingly brief visitors to Priors Hall Lake on the outskirts of Corby and odonata included a Blue-eyed Hawker (or Southern Migrant Hawker if you prefer) in the sedge-filled gullet just upstream from the lake (what3words clapper.tests.sports). Small Red-eyed Damselflies and Ruddy Darters were in the same spot and the lake itself supported many Black-tailed Skimmers, several Blue Emperors and at least one Lesser Emperor. It was great to see the Sand Martin box being used by breeding Sand Martins.

A Common Redstart was found at Cold Ashby Golf Centre this afternoon, in the eastern perimeter fence/hedgerow. Nearby and Stanford Reservoir recorded two Ospreys flying over in a north-easterly direction at 5pm, the Ruddy Shelduck again, a Redshank and four Common Sandpipers.

A family party of Spotted Flycatchers were at the Gamboro' Plantation today (between Cottesbrooke and Hanging Houghton).

Regards

Neil M

Common Scoters (and Pochard) courtesy of Tyler Atkinson.

Brown Hawker (ovipositing) and Banded Demoiselle.

Small Red-eyed Damselfly.

Banded Demoiselle and White-legged Damselfly.

More of the same...

Hello

A much more comfortable day's weather with less heat and a lively breeze.

The regular female Ruddy Shelduck was today at Stanford Reservoir where also two Common Sandpipers.

The Quail was still audible in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning and again this evening, still in fields between the shrike hedge and Blueberry Farm, Maidwell. A Common Redstart was around the Blueberry Farm complex.

Two more Common Redstarts and a Wheatear were at Harrington Airfield early this afternoon and butterflies were two Clouded Yellows and plenty of Marbled Whites and Painted Ladies.

Quarry Lake at Priors Hall, Corby was the location for a Common Sandpiper and two Blue-eyed (Southern Migrant) Hawkers - a regular venue for this rare species of dragonfly in the county.

A pair of Black Swans have two cygnets at Deene Lake where also a Green Sandpiper and a Mandarin Duck.

In the Nene Valley the two juvenile Common Redstarts were still at Clifford Hill Pits in hedges on the west side by buildings. A Common Sandpiper was also there plus broods of Tufted Duck and Little Grebe.

An Osprey was seen to catch a fish on the Elinor Trout Lake at Thrapston Pits this afternoon and a Red Kite was seen to take a juvenile Black-headed Gull.

Regards

Neil M

Osprey.

Juvenile Reed Warbler.

Banded Demoiselle.

Common Blue Damselfly.

Red Kite with juvenile Black-headed Gull.

Images courtesy of Ryan Atkinson.

Raptors, Clouded Yellows and Lesser Emperors

Hello

Plenty more heat today but perhaps the last of the really hot days?

A juvenile Marsh Harrier was again at Stanford Reservoir today plus two Common Sandpipers, broods of Shoveler and Gadwall ducklings and a Grasshopper Warbler.

An immature male Goshawk was seen north of Bucknell Wood today - it seems bit by bit we are slowly attracting more of these secretive raptors into the county as they slowly re-populate the UK after years of persecution.

A Common Sandpiper and a Common Snipe were the only birds of note at Summer Leys LNR and two Oystercatchers and a Curlew were at Lilbourne Water Meadows.

Two Common Redstarts were at Harrington Airfield this afternoon, one not far from the chipping compound, and the second just south of Bunker One. A Marsh Harrier and two Clouded Yellows were also present.

The calling Quail was still in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning, between shrike hedge and Blueberry Farm, Maidwell.

Several Clouded Yellows were on a nectar strip near Gamboro' Plantation between Cottesbrooke and Hanging Houghton. Two more were seen near Braunston north and east of the village.

A Lesser Emperor was at Hollowell Reservoir by the sailing club with an amazing horde of one hundred and seventy five Black-tailed Skimmers along the west shore. Another Lesser Emperor was at Ravensthorpe Reservoir just south of the causeway.

Regards

Neil M

Juvenile Pied Wagtail courtesy
of Tyler Atkinson.

Juvenile Meadow Pipit courtesy
of Tyler Atkinson.

Ringlet.

Green-veined White.

Red Admiral.

Here come the Redstarts!

Hello

Heat dominates the weather again but it isn't stopping the passage of Common Redstarts through the county!

The male remains at Lilbourne Water Meadows, at least one juvenile is still at Clifford Hill Pits, one or two were at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell and another was briefly at shrike hedge with a roving flock of birds in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton. All of these were spotted this morning before it became too hot. This evening three more were located by Bunker Two at Harrington Airfield where also a Grey Partridge was calling.

A Ring-necked Parakeet was at Moulton today, a Grasshopper Warbler was 'reeling' at Weekley Hall on the outskirts of Kettering and another was 'reeling' at Hollowell Reservoir where also a Little Ringed Plover and a Green Sandpiper. This evening an Osprey was photographed high over Hollowell village carrying a large Bream.

The persistent Quail was still calling in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning, and again this evening, between shrike hedge and Blueberry Farm. A Grey Partridge was watching over twelve very small young also at Blueberry Farm. A Spotted Flycatcher visited us in our garden at Hanging Houghton this morning.

Birds in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon were an Osprey and seven Black-tailed Godwits. A Marsh Harrier was located at Stanford Reservoir this evening and other birds were two Common Sandpipers, thirty Pied Wagtails, a Gadwall with ducklings and a Grasshopper Warbler.

Regards

Neil M

Juvenile Common Redstarts
at Clifford Hill Pits yesterday
courtesy of Tyler Atkinson.

Little Egret.

It's hot but there's plenty to see!

Hello

A particularly hot day with afternoon temperatures soaring above 30C.

Little Owls were heard calling at Clifford Hill Pits and Hanging Houghton today - their numbers might be depleted but they are hanging on in there!

The two juvenile Common Redstarts were still at Clifford Hill Pits today, in bushes on the west side near buildings and continuing to show well (hopefully some images on the blog tomorrow). Other birds included a Common Sandpiper, Grey Partridges with three young and a Hobby.

An eBird report of a Hawfinch was noted at Fermyn Woods Country Park, a former county site for them.

Two Peregrines were atop Kings Sutton church spire this afternoon.

At Pitsford Reservoir there was still a Dunlin north of the causeway this morning with two this evening, and a Silver-washed Fritillary and two Great White Egrets were on the reserve. Big gulls were coming and going near the dam this afternoon and at one point there were five Yellow-legged Gulls present amongst the Lesser Black-backs. Two Lesser Emperor dragonflies were off the dam at the juncture with the Sailing Club grounds and two juvenile Ravens were foraging on the waterline.

Thirty young Sand Martins were ringed at the Pitsford Reservoir Sand Martin Box today, bringing the total this year to ninety, in a productive year at this site for the species.

Butterflies at Gamboro' Plantation included a Purple Emperor, two Silver-washed Fritillaries and a Clouded Yellow and two Spotted Flycatchers were there too. A single Spotted Flycatcher was at Hanging Houghton village this evening and the Quail was very vocal in the Brampton Valley below the village between shrike hedge and Blueberry Farm, Maidwell.

Regards

Neil M

Black-headed Gull courtesy
of John Tilly.

Variations in the Gatekeeper.

Mutual preening is believed to be an
important part of pair-bonding in some
species. Here a pair of Carrion Crows that
 seemingly failed to breed successfully, appear
 to be involved in this preening, as they
 commence their annual moult.

Silver-washed Fritillary at Pitsford
Reservoir today courtesy of Tony Stanford.

A much-cropped image of a Lesser Emperor
at Pitsford Reservoir today.

Passerines on the move too

Hello

More heat today but with a pleasant breeze too.

Two juvenile Common Redstarts including an audacious male were splendid finds at Clifford Hill Pits this morning (please see Tyler Atkinson's video below).

An adult male Common Redstart was found at Lilbourne Meadows this morning, in a traditional stop-over hedge bordering sheep fields running down from Hilmorton Lane to the mini flood plain. The adults have a tendency to linger whilst undertaking wing and tail moult; the juveniles will rely on their current flight and tail feathers for migration and complete just a body moult as they progress. A Curlew was reported at Lilbourne too.

A Spotted Flycatcher and a Raven were at Gamboro' Plantation this morning where also an adult Coal Tit was feeding a just-fledged juvenile. Coal Tits will attempt second broods, particularly if the spring is relatively warm. A Purple Hairstreak and Hummingbird Hawkmoth were also present as were Brown and Southern Hawkers.

Three adult Yellow-legged Gulls were around the dam at Pitsford Reservoir this morning, a Common Sandpiper and a Grey Wagtail were on the dam and a female Gadwall had five ducklings on the pool below. Four Red Foxes were playing in one of the grass fields. North of the causeway there was a summer plumage Dunlin, three Common Sandpipers, a Grey Wagtail, ten Pochard and the first flock of autumn Teal.

Remnants of the Spotted Flycatcher family family were still calling in Hanging Houghton village today and a Little Owl and a Barn Owl were both vocal on the outskirts of the village yesterday.

At least two Crossbills were at Wakerley Wood today where also a Siskin and a family of Spotted Flycatchers. Butterflies included Purple Emperor, White Admiral, Silver-washed Fritillary and Purple Hairstreak. 

Birds at Blatherwycke Lake were a Common Sandpiper, three Egyptian Geese and broods of Tufted Duck and Gadwall. Three Great White Egrets were at Deene Lake.

Stanford Reservoir benefitted with visits from a juvenile Little Ringed Plover, five Common Sandpipers, a Hobby, a Kingfisher and a 'reeling' Grasshopper Warbler.

A Green-eyed (Norfolk) Hawker remains at Stortons Pits today.

The Quail was calling again in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this evening between shrike hedge and Blueberry Farm, Maidwell.

Regards

Neil M

Leucistic Woodpigeon.

Painted Lady.

Images and video courtesy of Tyler Atkinson.

Hummingbird Hawk-moth courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Summer into autumn

Hello

The beginning of another week of warm, sunny weather with no rain in the forecast.

An unremarkable set of sightings today but the early autumn movements of birds continues to trickle along.

A Common Sandpiper was at Stanford Reservoir where also a Pochard and two Kingfishers.

At Hollowell Reservoir there was a Green Sandpiper, eight Little Ringed Plovers and a family party of Yellow Wagtails. A male Scarce Chaser (still very restricted number of sites in the county) was at a field pond just south of Ravensthorpe Reservoir.

Four summer plumage adult 'Icelandic' Black-tailed Godwits were in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir this evening plus two Pochard and a female Tufted Duck with three ducklings.

Two Spotted Flycatchers were at Gamboro' Plantation (between Cottesbrooke and Hanging Houghton) and a collection of butterflies there were made up of two Purple Emperors, a Silver-washed Fritillary, a Clouded Yellow and six Purple Hairstreaks. Nearby in the Brampton Valley, the Quail could still be heard calling from fields between shrike hedge and the Blueberry Farm complex, with a Hobby also there this evening.

A Common Sandpiper was still at Summer Leys LNR, a Wasp Spider has set up home near the benches in the car park and a Green-eyed (Norfolk) Hawker was at Toad Pond on the reserve.

An adult Yellow-legged Gull was at Town Lake, Thrapston Pits at Midday.

Regards

Neil M

Spotted Flycatcher courtesy of Tyler Atkinson.

Juvenile Stonechat courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Sedge Warbler courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Silver-washed Fritillaries in cop,
with a 'valezina' form female.

Ringlet.

Birds before the next heat wave!

Hello

Some ringing at Pitsford Reservoir was struggling to find the birds this morning and we ended up with just thirty-eight birds which included a Jay, a Marsh Tit and two Treecreepers, and just a handful of common warblers.

Birds on-site were an Osprey, a Kingfisher, a Raven, an adult Yellow-legged Gull and a Grey Wagtail.

The calling Quail was again between shrike hedge in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this evening.

The female Ruddy Shelduck hasn't been reported for a while but it was found at Winwick Pools this morning.

Birds at the New Workings section on Earls Barton Pits or Whiston Wetlands were a drake Red-crested Pochard and a Green Sandpiper and nearby a Common Sandpiper was at Summer Leys LNR.

A Wheatear at Clifford Hill Pits will be an early autumn migrant en-route south.

A Little Ringed Plover was at Stanford Reservoir plus two Common Sandpipers, two Hobby, a Kingfisher, a Cetti's Warbler and a brood of Gadwall.

Regards

Neil M

Blackcap.

Juvenile Cuckoo being fed by Reed Warblers.

Above images courtesy of Tyler Atkinson.

Jay courtesy of Dr Sean Gower.

Marsh Tit.

Ringing at Linford Lakes.

Hello 

Another sunny day with plenty of breeze this afternoon and the conditions remain good for the butterflies.

A Black-tailed Godwit was in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir this morning and a Barn Owl was in the Holcot Bay this afternoon.  A juvenile Cuckoo was located in the Scaldwell Bay being fed by Reed Warblers and other birds were a Spotted Flycatcher and Green Sandpiper. Butterfly highlights were a Silver-washed Fritillary and two Purple Hairstreaks.

A pair of Hobby were seen across fields west of Brixworth village.

A Greenshank was heard calling at Stanwick Pits this morning and two Common Sandpipers were at Summer Leys LNR.

Two more Common Sandpipers were at Ravensthorpe Reservoir as the autumn wader migration slowly builds in momentum. A Cattle Egret was a brief visitor at Stanford Reservoir where also two Common Sandpipers, an Oystercatcher, a Kingfisher and a Grasshopper Warbler.

A Barn Owl and a Grey Wagtail were on the Kelmarsh Estate today and family parties of Spotted Flycatcher were at Hanging Houghton and Harlestone.

A ringing session at Linford Lakes, Milton Keynes yesterday provided plenty of diversity within the one hundred and forty-three birds handled by the team there. Warblers dominated with twenty-eight Blackcaps, fourteen Garden Warblers, two Lesser Whitethroats, seven Common Whitethroats, a Sedge Warbler, fifteen Reed Warblers, two Cetti's Warblers and six Chiffchaffs. The finches were represented by a Chaffinch, eleven Goldfinches and fourteen Greenfinches.

Bigger birds included three Great Spotted Woodpeckers, two Green Woodpeckers, two Jackdaws, a Magpie, a Woodpigeon and a Mallard.

A Silver-washed Fritillary was a new site record for Sunderland Wood on the Kelmarsh Estate today and odonata seen there included Beautiful Demoiselle, Brown Hawker and Southern Hawker.

Regards

Neil M

Juvenile Green Woodpecker.

Lesser Whitethroat.

Mallard.

Images all courtesy of Kenny Cramer.

Birds of early July

Hello

A pleasant, warm day which began calm but then became windy again.

A Great White Egret and an adult Yellow-legged Gull were in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir this morning. A little ringing at the Old Scaldwell Road area provided thirty-three captures of small birds including breeding warblers with the best of the catch being ten Common Whitethroats, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Garden Warbler, three Blackcaps, a Chiffchaff and eight Sedge Warblers.

A male Channel or Blue-headed Wagtail and a Snipe were at Clifford Hill Pits this morning and at Kinewell Lake at Ringstead Pits this afternoon there were two juvenile Cattle Egrets and two Mandarin Ducks.

A Bittern was noted again at Summer Leys LNR, plus the Otter again and a brood of twelve Tufted Duck ducklings were out and about.

A female Red-crested Pochard plus a female Red-crested Pochard x Mallard hybrid were at Ravensthorpe Reservoir today, north of the causeway.

A Redshank, an Oystercatcher and a Common Sandpiper were located at Stanford Reservoir where also a 'reeling' Grasshopper Warbler.

A Quail was again heard calling in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning, in a field between Blueberry Farm and 'shrike hedge'.

A Common Redstart was located at Borough Hill Country Park, Daventry this afternoon where also two noisy juvenile Peregrines.

Regards

Neil M

A male Channel or Blue-headed Wagtail.

Juvenile Meadow Pipit.

Juvenile Blue Tit.

Brown Argus.

All images courtesy of Tyler Atkinson.