A couple more Pied Flycatchers

Hello

My apologies but for some reason images aren't downloading on to the blog this evening.

It's been a great autumn for migrant Common Redstarts, chats and flycatchers and today two more Pied Flycatchers were found. Lamport Hall produced it's third individual of the season with a bird showing this evening from the third wooden gate from the A508 along the footpath south of Lamport Hall, where also a male Common Redstart and eight Spotted Flycatchers. In addition Steve found another one in Denton Wood today, part of the private Yardley Hastings complex.

A Cattle Egret was an early morning sighting at Stanford Reservoir where other birds were a Ringed Plover (injured), a Great White Egret, two Common Sandpipers and a Cetti's Warbler.

At Hollowell Reservoir there was an adult Caspian Gull, ten Egyptian Geese, four Dunlin and six Ringed Plovers. Ravensthorpe Reservoir provided a site record of one hundred and eighteen Great Crested Grebes, plus a Green Sandpiper and a Cetti's Warbler.

Birds north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir were a Black-tailed Godwit, four Greenshanks, two Green Sandpipers, two Common Sandpipers, six Great White Egrets, three Ravens and a Kingfisher. Five Egyptian Geese remain around the dam where also three Yellow-legged Gulls, four Common Terns and two Grey Wagtails.

Harrington Airfield hosted two Common Redstarts and a Whinchat and in the Nene Valley there was a Wheatear, two Common Snipe and a Ringed Plover at Clifford Hill Pits.

Summer Leys LNR was the venue for a Bittern, four or five Great White Egrets, a Ruff, a Ringed Plover, five Common Snipe, a Hobby and a Spotted Flycatcher. The Osprey was again at the New Workings section of Earls Barton Pits plus a Great White Egret and a Green Sandpiper.

Nick located a Greenshank and three Common Sandpipers on the Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits.

Regards

Neil M

Gulls - love them or hate them?

Hello

Rain for the first part of the morning and then a breezy but relatively mild day, becoming cooler this evening.

Stanford Reservoir again produced a Bittern sighting and other birds were an Osprey, a Common Sandpiper, three Common Snipe, a Hobby, two hundred Swallows, a Cetti's Warbler and seven Spotted Flycatchers.

A Common Redstart was in the anglers car park at Naseby Reservoir and waders amounted to two Ringed Plovers, fifteen Common Snipe and a Common Sandpiper.

Hollowell Reservoir provided a fly-through Knot that touched down briefly, a Greenshank, five Ringed Plovers, two Common Snipe and two Common Sandpipers.

At Pitsford Reservoir a Black-tailed Godwit was feeding in the Scaldwell Bay where also a Greenshank, a Ruff, three Little Ringed Plovers, three Common Snipe and four Pintail. An Osprey was later seen over the causeway. Large gulls off the dam included ten Yellow-legged Gulls (of three different ages) plus singles of Greenshank, Green Sandpiper and Common Sandpiper, six Common Terns and a couple of Grey Wagtails.

A Bittern was seen in flight on the Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits plus an amazing count of twenty-eight Mandarin Ducks, and Summer Leys LNR hosted a Ruff, a Ringed Plover, three Common Snipe and a Hobby.

A juvenile Osprey spent some time at the new workings section of Earls Barton Pits where also three Green Sandpipers and a Pintail.

A couple of Grey Wagtails were in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth.

Regards

Neil M

Great Black-backed Gull.

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull.

An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull and a
juvenile gull that looked right for Yellow-
legged Gull at the time but now I'm not
so sure! It could be a rather round-headed
and pale Lesser Black-backed but the legs
seem too long, the rounded physique of the
bird and structure seem more akin to Yellow-
legged. The plain brown white-fringed tertials
are a feature of both species and the greater
covert patterning is more akin to Yellow-legged.
Not all juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls depict a pale
head and belly as so often described in the
literature. I think anyone who says they can
identify every juvenile big gull is a fibber! 

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull.

Adult Lesser Black-backed Gull.

A selection of gulls photographed on the
dam at Pitsford Reservoir recently.

A quiet September day

Hello

A pleasant autumn day with warm temperatures but little was found locally that was new.

The Bittern remains at Stanford Reservoir and other birds were two Common Sandpipers, a hundred Cormorants, a Peregrine, two Ravens and a Cetti's Warbler.

The local Ruddy Shelduck showed up at Ravensthorpe Reservoir today where also three Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper, two Ruff and a Great White Egret. A Stonechat and five Ringed Plovers and a Common Snipe were the best on offer at Hollowell Reservoir.

Two adult Caspian Gulls graced Naseby Reservoir today where also two Ruff, fourteen Common Snipe and four Common Sandpipers.

At Pitsford Reservoir birds in the Scaldwell Bay were a Black-tailed Godwit, a Greenshank, three Common Snipe, six Great White Egrets and three Pintail. Three Yellow-legged Gulls were around the dam/Overstone Grange Bay plus a Kingfisher, a Green Sandpiper, two Grey Wagtails and a Raven.

In the Nene Valley and Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston provided thirty-one Little Egrets, five Great White Egrets, a Greenshank and four Common Sandpipers.

A Common Sandpiper, a Hobby and a Raven were at Stanwick Pits and the new workings section of Earls Barton Pits produced an Osprey, two Green Sandpipers and a Common Sandpiper.

Efforts at the Clifford Hill Pits complex returned a Wheatear, a Redshank, three Common Sandpipers, two Common Snipe and two Ringed Plovers.

The Hobby family were still at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell today.

Regards

Neil M

Coal Tit courtesy of
Tyler Atkinson.

Goldcrest courtesy of
Tyler Atkinson.

Long-tailed Tit courtesy of
Tyler Atkinson.

Muntjac courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Sallow Kitten moth.

Gatekeeper butterfly.

Pipits and wagtails on the move

Hello

A shower at dawn and the southerly breeze kicked in later with warm, dry conditions.

A relatively short ringing session at Brixworth Water Treatment Works this morning successfully processed sixty-five birds which only included five re-traps and one of them a Chiffchaff from last autumn.

Stars of the show were a single Tree Pipit which have been relatively scarce this autumn, a Yellow Wagtail which is a rare capture away from roost sites, six Pied Wagtails and three Lesser Whitethroats, albeit the last of the three was unfortunately inundated with ticks which were clearly having a detrimental effect. Twenty-five Blackcaps and seventeen Chiffchaffs made up the bulk of the catch which also included a Magpie, a Song Thrush and a Reed Bunting. A southerly passage of Meadow Pipits overhead was evident during the first couple of hours and Yellow Wagtails dropped in and out.

The lucerne crop in the fields next to the footpath south of Old, Cherry Hill and Walgrave continued to attract good numbers of Clouded Yellow butterflies and there were two Common Redstarts in the hedging there plus a mobile Marsh Harrier.

A female Common Redstart was found in the south of the county at Hinton Airfield, another was at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell and birds noted at Harrington Airfield were a Tree Pipit and two Crossbills flying over and two Common Redstarts and a Wheatear around the bunkers.

A Hobby was noted at Whiston Lock and the Clifford Hill Pits/Little Houghton area attracted one or two Wheatear(s), at least two Spotted Flycatchers, three Ringed Plovers, a Common Sandpiper, a Great White Egret, a Water Rail, seventy-eight Yellow Wagtails from roost, a Hobby, a large flock of hirundines and a passage of Meadow Pipits.

A Barn Owl was in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this evening.

Regards

Neil M

Tree Pipit courtesy of
Sean Gower.

Yellow Wagtail courtesy of
Michelle Spinks.

Common Buzzard courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Peregrine courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Migrants lurking in the bushes

Hello

Many of the Robins are back in full song now, a combination of surviving adults that have recovered from the breeding season and undergone a full moult, and the youngsters that have mostly completed their body moult and are striving for territories. I wonder how many adults are usurped by their own young!

It's this time of the year when many small migrants pass almost unnoticed through the county. Ringing has shown us that as birdwatchers wandering around with optics we see a small fraction of the birds in the foliage and bushes. Large numbers of Blackcaps traditionally move through the middle of the UK, not bouncing off the coastlines like many rarer birds. Ringers at Stanford Reservoir can expect to catch and ring a few thousand of these birds every year.

A ringing session at Stortons Pits was a good example this morning with a selection of nets barely covering a couple of hectares successfully catching over eighty Blackcaps. Other birds included two each of Garden Warbler and Common Whitethroat, singles of Sedge Warbler and Cetti's Warbler, six Reed Warblers and twenty-three Chiffchaffs. Bigger birds included two Song Thrushes, a Blackbird, a Green Woodpecker and a Magpie. A Ring-necked Parakeet and a male Peregrine overflew the site.

Birds north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir today were a Spotted Redshank, two Greenshanks, a Green Sandpiper, two Black-tailed Godwits, three Ruff, two Common Snipe, a Garganey, four Pintail, four Shelducks, one thousand, one hundred and thirty Tufted Ducks, an adult Yellow-legged Gull, a Hobby and eight Great White Egrets.

A Wood Sandpiper was still at Ravensthorpe Reservoir plus two Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper and three Common Snipe.

A list of birds noted at Daventry Country Park included two Ringed Plovers, two Green Sandpipers, two Common Sandpipers, four Shelducks, three Swifts and a Hobby.

A Bittern and a Ruff were at Summer Leys LNR this morning and a Hobby and a Great White Egret were at Kinewell Lake, Ringstead Pits. The Little Stint was reported from Clifford Hill Pits and a Garganey was at the north end of the Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits.

A Hobby and a Raven were near Kelmarsh and a Common Redstart and eight Spotted Flycatchers were at Lamport Hall this evening.

Regards

Neil M

Cetti's Warbler courtesy of
Jane Neill.

First year Magpie courtesy
of Chris Payne.

First year female Green Woodpecker
courtesy of Chris Payne.

Birds of reservoir and gravel pit

Hello

A breezy day and some heavy rain this morning ensured that many waters enjoyed a collection of hirundines feeding over the surface.

A Bittern and a Hobby were at Stanford Reservoir today and two of the juvenile Curlew Sandpipers and the Spotted Redshank were still at Daventry Country Park, where an adult Arctic Tern was also reported.

A couple of Turnstones were heard calling near the dam/Moulton Grange Bay area at Pitsford Reservoir but not seen, and other birds at this part of the reservoir were a Common Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper, a Great White Egret, a Kingfisher, a Yellow-legged Gull and all three species of wagtail including a possible juvenile White Wagtail. In the Scaldwell Bay this afternoon there was a single Spotted Redshank and other birds north of the causeway were now five juvenile Shelducks, seven Great White Egrets, a Pintail, two Black-tailed Godwits, a Ruff, two Greenshanks and a Yellow-legged Gull.

Sywell Country Park provided views of a juvenile Osprey, two Yellow-legged Gulls, two Little Ringed Plovers and singles of Green Sandpiper and Common Sandpiper.

A Garganey was new in at Ravensthorpe Reservoir where still a Wood Sandpiper, two Green Sandpipers, two Common Snipe and a Ruff. Hollowell Reservoir produced an Osprey, six Ringed Plovers and a Common Sandpiper.

The list of birds at Naseby Reservoir again involved the adult Caspian Gull, an adult Yellow-legged Gull, a Greenshank, five Common Snipe and five Common Sandpipers.

Clifford Hill Pits hosted a Little Stint plus the two now long-staying Black Terns, three Common Snipe, a Common Sandpiper, a Ruff and a Ringed Plover.

A Wood Sandpiper was reported from Summer Leys LNR today and the Glossy Ibis was at the New Workings section of Earls Barton Pits early this afternoon together with a Greenshank, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Common Sandpiper and four or five Green Sandpipers.

An Osprey flew south over Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits and a Hobby and a Swift were also seen.

Regards

Neil M

Pied Flycatcher at Wicksteed Park
yesterday courtesy of Nick Parker.

Black Terns in the rain at 
Clifford Hill Pits this morning
courtesy of Tyler Atkinson.

The trajected route used by the Isle of Wight
White-tailed Eagle that flew through the county
from south to north last Sunday and Monday,
roosting just north of Thrapston on the Sunday
night, courtesy of Tim Mackrill. It passed over
Northampton at 1.30pm on the Sunday.

Autumn bounty

Hello

Clifford Hill Pits is receiving good coverage this year and it's paying off with a juvenile Little Stint being found this morning and other birds amounting to two Black Terns, a Ringed Plover, a Common Sandpiper and a Wheatear.

The Glossy Ibis was at Earls Barton New Workings north of the river early this afternoon and a Glossy Ibis (possibly the same) was reported on the scrape at Summer Leys LNR this evening.

A Pied Flycatcher was a good find at Wicksteed Park, Kettering today - what3words cases.bother.reveal

A Common Redstart and four Spotted Flycatchers at Lamport Hall was the best on offer this evening and earlier two Common Redstarts were heard calling in hedging off the footpath leading from Bridle Road, Old to the fields south of Cherry Hill and Walgrave. A Golden Plover flew over here as did a Raven and a Grey Wagtail and a dozen Clouded Yellows remain fixated on the lucerne crop there.

A Raven and vocal Little Owls were in Hanging Houghton village and birds north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir were nine Great White Egrets, at least seven Ruff, four Greenshanks, two Black-tailed Godwits, five Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper, now four juvenile Shelducks, five Pintail, at least one adult Yellow-legged Gull and five Clouded Yellow butterflies.

Ravensthorpe Reservoir again provided the Wood Sandpiper plus four Green Sandpipers, two Common Sandpipers, a Common Snipe and a Ruff, and nearby Hollowell Reservoir was good for three Ringed Plovers and a Wheatear.

The Caspian Gull was again seen at Naseby Reservoir today and the three juvenile Curlew Sandpipers and single Spotted Redshank were again reported from Daventry Country Park.

Regards

Neil M

Ruff.

Black-tailed Godwit.

Kingfisher.

Above images from Pitsford Reservoir
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Linnet courtesy of Kenny Cramer.

Another roost catch last night (Wednesday) at Linford
 Lakes, Milton Keynes provided more Swallows and
 this unexpected juvenile Linnet - the first of this species
 to be ringed on-site.

Wet Wednesday

Hello

Light rain for much of the day but sadly it doesn't seem to have provided anything interesting for us in the county.

At Stanwick Pits this morning there was a Black-tailed Godwit, a Ruff, three Common Sandpipers and two Green Sandpipers. Chris located a Bittern on the Cotton Reel Pit at Ditchford Pits this morning.

Clifford Hill Pits attracted two Black Terns still, a Great White Egret, a Common Sandpiper, ninety Yellow Wagtails and a fly-through Black-tailed Godwit. A Ruff was on the scrape at Summer Leys LNR.

Daventry Country Park again hosted three juvenile Curlew Sandpipers and a Spotted Redshank plus a Swift.

At Pitsford Reservoir birds north of the causeway included ten Great White Egrets, three Ruff, three Greenshanks, a Common Sandpiper, a Kingfisher, three juvenile Shelduck and a Yellow-legged Gull.

Two urban Ravens were again in Abington, Northampton, over Pinewood and Burwood Roads this morning.

Two Common Redstarts and a Wheatear were at Harrington Airfield this morning and two Common Redstarts remain at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell.

It would seem that a White-tailed Eagle passed through Northants a couple of days ago prior to being spotted at Ferry Meadows, Peterborough, a young bird from the Isle of Wight release scheme. Apparently it ended up in Norfolk (GPS transmission data).

A roost catch at Linford Lakes, Milton Keynes yesterday (Tuesday) evening provided Swallows, a Sand Martin and a marauding juvenile Sparrowhawk.

Regards

Neil M

Juvenile male Sparrowhawk
courtesy of Kenny Cramer.

Hobby.

Kestrel.

Osprey.

Above three images courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

New month but most of the birds are the same!

Hello

September has come around very quickly! And what a difference some steady, soft rain has made - seven new mole hills in the garden, worms active in the substrate, frogs hopping around at night, and the yellow grass is going green once more! The continued warmth means that the abundance of Hummingbird Hawk-moths and Clouded Yellow butterflies in the county continues.

The three juvenile Curlew Sandpipers continue their stay at Daventry Country Park where also the Spotted Redshank, a Common Redshank, a Ruff, seven Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper and two Black-tailed Godwits could be found feeding in the margins.

Also in the west of the county and a Marsh Harrier flew north at Hellidon where also ten Ravens.

A Wheatear, several Grey Wagtails and two Ravens were in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth this morning and in the same valley below Hanging Houghton there were two Whinchats and a Wheatear near shrike hedge. Two Common Redstarts and the Hobby family were at nearby Blueberry Farm, Maidwell and the sometimes elusive Pied Flycatcher popped up again at Lamport Hall with it's Spotted Flycatcher entourage and a Common Redstart too.

Just a Little Ringed Plover and a Common Sandpiper were seen north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir this morning but Ravensthorpe Reservoir was better with the Wood Sandpiper still, five Green Sandpipers, four Common Sandpipers, two Common Snipe, a Ruff and now two Cetti's Warblers.

Just over the ridge at Hollowell Reservoir and there was a Wheatear and three Ringed Plovers. Naseby Reservoir remained consistent with the adult Caspian Gull, four Common Sandpipers and eight Common Snipe all logged.

In the Nene Valley the two Black Terns were still at Clifford Hill Pits where also four Common Sandpipers, three Common Snipe, a Water Rail and over seventy Yellow Wagtails flew from the roost.

A Marsh Harrier was on the Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits plus Spotted Flycatcher, and a Yellow-legged Gull was on Elinor Lake.

A party of Spotted Flycatchers were visible at Grendon Quarter Pond at the Station Road end, two Ravens were in Abington, Northampton with one nearby at Westone.

Regards

Neil M

Muntjac.

Nuthatch.

Hawfinch.

Images courtesy of Peter Walmsley.
Peter made a recent trip to Warburg
Nature Reserve, near Henley on
Thames, a Berks, Bucks and Oxon
Wildlife Trust reserve. With hides and
photographic opportunities including
 digitally capturing the normally
 shy Hawfinch, this reserve is
proving popular!

Classic autumn birding

Hello

Damp at times today but still plenty of autumnal birds on show in the county.

The Pied Flycatcher put in a couple of appearances at Lamport Hall today, each time in company with Spotted Flycatchers and visible from the first wooden five bar gate along the footpath to Scaldwell when entering from the A508 immediately south of the hall entrance.

A Whinchat was in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton with Ravens in the village and at Harrington Airfield. Two Wheatears were in a field just north of Harrington village church.

Birds north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir today included a juvenile Osprey, eleven Ruff, three Ringed Plovers, seven Black-tailed Godwits, nine Greenshank, six Green Sandpipers, four Common Sandpipers and a Yellow-legged Gull.

At Hollowell Reservoir there was a Caspian Gull, the female Ruddy Shelduck, two Ringed Plovers, two Greenshanks and three Common Sandpipers. Naseby Reservoir produced a Caspian Gull, a Yellow-legged Gull, a fly-through Spotted Redshank, five Ringed Plovers, two Dunlin, ten Common Snipe, a Green Sandpiper and seven Common Sandpipers.

Ravensthorpe Reservoir was also on good form with a Wood Sandpiper, four Green Sandpipers, two Common Sandpipers, a Ruff, two Common Snipe, a Cetti's Warbler and a count of ninety-four Great Crested Grebes plus an Osprey and four Great White Egrets.

At Daventry Country Park there were three Curlew Sandpipers, a Ruff, a Spotted Redshank and a Black-tailed Godwit with nearby Borough Hill Country Park providing sightings of two Common Redstarts, four Whinchats and a Wheatear.

Two Black Terns were at Clifford Hill Pits, two Common Sandpipers and a Green Sandpiper were at Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows and the Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits was the location for a Spotted Redshank, two Black-tailed Godwits, a Garganey and a Pintail.

A Glossy Ibis was on the scrape at Summer Leys LNR at 6.30am and presumably the same bird was later at the New Workings section of the Earls Barton complex where also two Greenshanks, four Green Sandpipers, two Common Sandpipers, a Common Snipe and three Great White Egrets. Two Black-tailed Godwits were on the scrape at Summer Leys this afternoon.

Three Ravens were seen in flight over Little Billing, Northampton this morning.

Regards

Neil M

Grey Heron courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Green Woodpecker courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Black-tailed Godwit courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Greenshank courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Sunday's best of the migrants

Hello

A Spotted Redshank and three juvenile Curlew Sandpipers were the pick of the waders again at Daventry Country Park this morning.

The Ferruginous Duck was again at Stanford Reservoir today and the Bittern showed briefly, other birds being a Kingfisher, four Common Sandpipers and five Yellow Wagtails.

At Pitsford Reservoir today birds north of the causeway were an Osprey, six Black-tailed Godwits, eleven Ruff, five Greenshanks, a Green Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper, three Shelducks, two Pintail, two Ravens and an adult Yellow-legged Gull. A Turnstone, four Yellow-legged Gulls and five Egyptian Geese were in the dam area this afternoon.

The Wood Sandpiper remained at Ravensthorpe Reservoir with three Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper, a Ruff and four Common Snipe. Naseby Reservoir hosted a Wood Sandpiper, two Green Sandpipers, seven Common Sandpipers, ten Common Snipe, three Dunlin, three Ringed Plovers and the adult Caspian Gull.

Two Black Terns and a Marsh Harrier were at Summer Leys LNR this morning and an Osprey was at Thrapston Pits with four Common Sandpipers and three Green Sandpipers on the Titchmarsh reserve.

The Glossy Ibis was at Earls Barton New Workings this afternoon plus two Greenshanks, four Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper and a Great White Egret.

A Wheatear and a Whinchat were at Heathencote and two Common Redstarts, a Whinchat and a Wheatear were at Harrington Airfield.

A Pied Flycatcher showed at Lamport Hall plus up to twenty Spotted Flycatchers and two Common Redstarts, all visible from the footpath to Scaldwell south of the hall. A Wheatear was in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and at least six Crossbills were at Gamboro' Plantation.

Regards

Neil M

One of two first year Marsh Tits
 caught and ringed at Pitsford
 Reservoir today, image courtesy
 of Olivia Neilson.

Cormorant courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Black-tailed Godwit courtesy
of Tyler Atkinson.

Nuthatch courtesy of Tyler Atkinson.

A wet end to August

Hello

A Bittern was a new bird in at Stanford Reservoir on a quiet day for the site with other sightings of a Kingfisher and a fly-through Dunlin.

At Pitsford Reservoir today there was a Turnstone and a Ringed Plover between the dam and Moulton Grange Bay and the dead and dying trout on-site are attracting quite a number of big gulls including five adult Great Black-backed Gulls. Two Ospreys were in the same area this morning. North of the causeway this afternoon there was an adult Osprey, four Greenshanks, nine Ruff, six Common Snipe, a couple of Green Sandpipers, a Black-tailed Godwit and a fly-over Whimbrel. At least six Great White Egrets patrolled the shallows.

A Wood Sandpiper was fresh in at Ravensthorpe Reservoir and in company with three Green Sandpipers north of the causeway. Four Great White Egrets were also present.

The Pectoral Sandpiper wasn't seen at Daventry Country Park today but other waders were a Spotted Redshank, three Curlew Sandpipers, three Dunlin, two Greenshanks, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Ruff and two Ringed Plovers.

The Glossy Ibis was at the New Workings section of Earls Barton Pits again where also a Black-tailed Godwit, a Common Sandpiper, four Green Sandpipers and adult Yellow-legged Gull. A Bittern was seen again at Summer Leys LNR where a Black Tern paid a brief visit and other birds were a Ruff and at least three Spotted Flycatchers.

A Little Stint was an early morning find at Clifford Hill Pits and other birds were a Common Sandpiper, two Wheatears and a Tree Pipit.

A Pied Flycatcher showed at Lamport Hall again early this afternoon with Spotted Flycatchers and other birds, as viewed from the first wooden five bar gate along the footpath from the A508. A male Common Redstart was seen in the vicinity later in the day.

Ravens were at Hanging Houghton and in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth where also several Grey Wagtails.

Regards

Neil M

Little Egret courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Brown Hares in the stubble.

Hummingbird Hawk-moth courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Goldfinch courtesy of
Tyler Atkinson.

Waders move to centre stage

Hello

Daventry Country Park was the place to be if you wanted to see scarce/rare waders with three juvenile Curlew Sandpipers joining the throng today which still included the adult Pectoral Sandpiper and a Spotted Redshank as well as varying numbers of Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers, Ruff, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit, Greenshank, Green and Common Sandpipers. A Pintail was there today and a Black Tern paid a short visit.

Up to three Whinchats and a Hobby were at Borough Hill Country Park, Daventry.

Stanford Reservoir provided the Ferruginous Duck again plus three Common Sandpipers, a juvenile Water Rail and fifteen Yellow Wagtails.

The adult Caspian Gull was at Naseby Reservoir again and other birds were three Dunlin, ten Common Snipe, four Common Sandpipers and three Green Sandpipers. Hollowell Reservoir yielded an Osprey, a Whinchat, two Ruff, two Redshank, a Greenshank, between three to five Common Sandpipers and four Common Snipe.

Birds north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir included eight Black-tailed Godwits, eleven Ruff, eight Greenshanks, two Green Sandpipers, a Hobby, a Kingfisher, two Pintails plus a report of a flock of Turnstones over the Holcot Bay. Three adult Yellow-legged Gulls were off the dam this evening plus two Ravens and the group of five Egyptian Geese.

Clifford Hill Pits was the venue for one hundred and ten Yellow Wagtails, a Greenshank, three Common Sandpipers, two Ringed Plovers, two Common Snipe and a Wheatear.

Two Garganey were on the Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits and at Summer Leys LNR there was a Ruff, a Common Sandpiper and a Greenshank. 

A Glossy Ibis was again at Earls Barton Pits on the new workings section where also three Greenshank and an adult Yellow-legged Gull.

Five Glossy Ibis flew south west over Stanwick Pits this morning.

One or two Common Redstart(s) were about a kilometre north of Upper Heyford west of Glassthorpe Hill.

Two Whinchats were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton near shrike hedge where also a Wheatear and a Marsh Harrier. Nearby a Common Redstart and four Spotted Flycatchers were at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell.

A male Common Redstart and about fifteen Spotted Flycatchers were at Lamport Hall this evening and two Grey Wagtails were in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth.

Two Common Redstarts, a Wheatear and two Ravens were noted at Harrington Airfield this morning.

Regards

Neil M

Greenshank courtesy of
Tyler Atkinson.

Redshank courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Willow Emerald Damselfly.

Poplar Hawk-moth.