Right place at the right time !!

 I wonder just how many birds are found by simply being in the "right place at the right time ". I know that this has happened to me on numerous occasions.  Well ,today I was in the right place but sadly a few hours too early!! As I was competing today I was out early with the collies and just after 05.00hrs I was at shrike hedge below Hanging Houghton.  It was very quiet and it certainly seemed that the birds hadn't woken up and were having a lie in.  A few hours later, just after 09.30hrs Stuart Mundy found a juvenile Red Backed Shrike on the very aptly named "shrike hedge ". A fantastic find. Unfortunately the bird was flushed by a Marsh Harrier and despite much searching it was not relocated.                                                                            I was out of county competing with Rouzel and Jaeger who had a good day finishing in the placings so couldn't do anything about the Red Backed Shrike.  As soon as I got home late afternoon I went straight down to shrike hedge and walked around the area but no luck,  just the Marsh Harrier and a Common Redstart.  But I will keep checking the area, just in case it is still around. 

Other birds around today include a Black Necked Grebe,  Wood,  Common and Green Sandpiper at Daventry Reservoir,  Common Redstart and Spotted Flycatcher at Pitsford Reservoir ( Scaldwell bay), Ruddy Shelduck and Common Sandpipers at Stanford Reservoir and 2 Garganey at Summer Leys. 

I wonder what tomorrow will bring? Meanwhile just enjoy some pictures from Tyler Atkinson taken at Clifford Hill GP during the week. 

Regards Eleanor 

Black Necked Grebes, Common Redstarts, Clouded Yellows and Hummingbird Hawk Moths !!

It has been a couple of quite busy days for birds and insects in the county.  There are still plenty of Common Redstarts around, Harrington Airfield,  Clifford Hill GP,  Jurassic Way ( Honey Hill Cold Ashby), Borough Hill, Blueberry area and below Hanging Houghton but no doubt many more slipping through unnoticed.                                                                           Black Necked Grebes have been present at Clifford Hill GP and Daventry Reservoir.                     The decreasing water levels are starting to attract waders. At Hollowell Reservoir there is a Wood Sandpiper,  Dunlin and Little Ringed Plovers,  nearby Naseby Reservoir has Common Sandpipers and Little Ringed Plover, and at Daventry Reservoir a Wood Sandpiper,  Common and Green Sandpipers.                             Other birds seen over the last couple of days include Ospreys at Pitsford Reservoir, Ravensthorpe Reservoir and Elinor Lake Thrapston.  A Whinchat at Harrington Airfield and 2 below Hanging Houghton, female Ruddy Shelduck at Stanford Reservoir and an Arctic Tern through Daventry Reservoir. 

At this time of year the hedgerows are often "alive" with birds as Tits and Warblers move together.  I seem to spend quite a bit of time simply watching the hedgerows and the birds moving through.  This is exactly what I was doing yesterday at Borough Hill when I found a Pied Flycatcher moving along the hedge along with 5 Spotted Flycatchers and Common Warblers.  You just never know what you might find especially at this time of year so it is always worth spending time watching the birds moving along the hedgerows. 

It is definitely a good year for butterflies and at the moment there is an influx of Clouded Yellows.  They have been recorded throughout the county.  One particular good area for seeing these lovely butterflies is an area of Lucerne fields from the footpath between Old and Walgrave.    There are also good numbers of Hummingbird Hawk Moths around with 5 being seen in the car park at Summer Leys. 

There are certainly plenty of birds and insects around this weekend and there's always the chance of something else being found. Have a good time. 

Regards Eleanor 

Comma, Black Tailed Skimmer and Chiffchaff taken at Pitsford Reservoir,  Tony Stanford 

Classic early autumn sightings

Hello

Again cloudy and humid today with only light winds.

This was ideal for an early morning ringing session at Stortons Pits where a small group of ringers successfully processed ninety-one bird of thirteen species. A good number of warblers were three Chiffchaffs, nineteen Garden Warblers, twenty-five Blackcaps, eight Reed Warblers, a single Sedge Warbler and thirteen Common Whitethroats. Eight Robins, four Dunnocks, five Blue Tits, four Great Tits, two Blackbirds, three Long-tailed Tits and two Wrens also found the nets.

Two Garganey were again on the scrape at Summer Leys LNR and a Grasshopper Warbler was reeling briefly in the car park area and with a Kingfisher seen briefly. The juvenile Black-necked Grebe was still at Clifford Hill Pits where also two Common Sandpipers, an adult Yellow-legged Gull and two Ravens.

An Osprey was over Elinor Lake at Thrapston Pits this morning.

Away from the Nene Valley and up to three Common Redstarts were at Honey Hill, Cold Ashby, again by the commemorative stone on the Jurassic Way footpath. Two Common Redstarts were at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell and another was in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton at shrike hedge. A juvenile Marsh Harrier was in the valley below Hanging Houghton this evening.

Nearby there were at least four Spotted Flycatchers at Lamport Hall and three Common Redstarts were located at Harrington Airfield - two 50m south of Bunker One and another at Bunker Two. A brood of Grey Partridges were present and the best of the butterflies were Small Copper and the now scarce Small Tortoiseshell.

The last couple of years has seen a change in that there is evidence of Hummingbird Hawk-moths and Painted Lady butterflies are now breeding locally.

A Wood Sandpiper was at Hollowell Reservoir this morning but may not have been there this afternoon when two Little Ringed Plovers were present. Twenty Yellow Wagtails were still off the Clipston Road near a bio fuel plant north of Kelmarsh.

Two Ravens were at the dam at Pitsford Reservoir and birds in the Welland Valley were a Kingfisher below Cottingham and a Cetti's Warbler at Gretton Weir.

The Ruddy Shelduck was still at Stanford Reservoir this morning plus three Common Sandpipers and ten Yellow Wagtails, and two Black-necked Grebes were still at Daventry Country Park where also a Greenshank and two Common Sandpipers.

Regards

Neil M

Sedge Warbler courtesy
of Chris Payne.

Adult Common Redstart
at Harrington Airfield.

Small Copper butterfly
Harrington Airfield.

Cloudy and pleasantly warm

Hello

A cloudier day today but still warm and very light winds made it all very comfortable.

Birds north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir today included a moulting adult female Marsh Harrier, three Yellow-legged Gulls, at least two Ravens, at least two Great White Egrets and a Black-tailed Godwit which was heard but not seen. A Hobby paid a brief visit and a female Grey Partridge was a proud Mum to a sizeable brood of chicks.

At Stanford Reservoir the female Ruddy Shelduck was still present and if in full wing moult may be there for awhile yet! Other birds were a Green Sandpiper and three Common Sandpipers. A Hobby was seen at Ravensthorpe Reservoir.

A juvenile Black-necked Grebe was found at Clifford Hill Pits today, on the main barrage lake, and other birds were four Common Sandpipers and a Raven.

Two Garganey were on the scrape at Summer Leys LNR plus a Common Snipe and a Great White Egret, and several Wasp Spiders and a lively Stoat were also located.

Two Black-necked Grebes remain at Daventry Country Park with a supporting cast of three Black-tailed Godwits, six Common Sandpipers and a juvenile Mediterranean Gull.

In excess of thirty Yellow Wagtails remain near the bio fuel plant off the A508 at the turning for Clipston north of Kelmarsh, and Spotted Flycatchers were at nearby Great Oxendon Station.

Two or three Common Redstarts were at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this morning.

Regards

Neil M

Juvenile Pied Wagtail
courtesy of John Tilly.

Ruddy Darter.

Silver-washed Fritillary courtesy
of Stuart Munday.

Hornet Plumehorn courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

More Redstarts anyone?

Hello

A continuation of the sunny weather but without the extreme temperatures was very pleasant.

Stanford Reservoir was the venue for a ringing session when one hundred and fifty-three birds were newly ringed. Birds of note at the reservoir included a Ruddy Shelduck, four hundred and fifty Greylag Geese and two Common Sandpipers.

At Pitsford Reservoir there were two adult Yellow-legged Gulls near the dam this morning plus four Ravens and a Common Sandpiper. An Osprey with a fish was just south of the causeway this evening and there were two Great White Egrets and a Grey Wagtail north of the causeway. Little Grebes on-site is evidence of post-breeding dispersal.

Two Common Redstarts were just north of the causeway at Ravensthorpe Reservoir near to the wooden gate, a female Gadwall was minding six ducklings and a Cetti's Warbler was present.

Three Common Redstarts were at Harrington Airfield today and two Common Redstarts and a Marsh Harrier were at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell where there was also a daylight encounter with an adult Polecat! A Marsh Harrier was in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this evening and Raven and Spotted Flycatcher were in the village.

The adult male Common Redstart was again at Lilbourne Meadows reserve in the small hedgerow running from Hilmorton Lane down to the currently dry flood plain. Another Common Redstart was in a hedge heading down the hill from Walgrave cemetry on the footpath leading to Old.

Morning birding at Clifford Hill Pits provided the two juvenile Common Redstarts still plus an adult Yellow-legged Gull, Hobby and a Common Sandpiper.

An eclipse drake Garganey was on the scrape at Summer Leys LNR this afternoon and birds at Thrapston Pits were an Osprey and a Yellow-legged Gull at Elinor Lake with a Black-tailed Godwit on the Titchmarsh reserve.

An apparent albino/leucistic Reed Warbler and a Green-eyed Hawker were at Stortons Pits today. Clouded Yellows were at Sywell Country Park today around the dam area.

Regards

Neil M

Adult male Common Redstart
at Lilbourne Meadows courtesy
of Stuart Munday.

Green-eyed Hawker at Stortons
Pits courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Apparent leucistic or albino Reed Warbler
at Stortons Pits today courtesy of Tony Stanford.

A quiet Sunday

Hello

Another sunny day with a stiff breeze and temperatures lower than last week.

A Bittern was seen in flight in front of the Pioneer Hide at Summer Leys LNR this morning and a brood of Gadwall ducklings were on view at Kinewell Lake, Ringstead Pits.

Three Yellow-legged Gulls at Pitsford Reservoir around the dam area included a juvenile and other birds included two or three Ravens, a Tufted Duck with four well-grown ducklings, a Kingfisher and a Gadwall still with five ducklings below the dam. A colour-ringed adult Black-headed Gull was on the dam - ringing details to be obtained.

Four Redshanks and in excess of twenty Common Terns were at Hollowell Reservoir today and a gathering of ten Ravens were at Hanging Houghton with a Common Redstart and a Marsh Harrier in the Brampton Valley below the village.

Three Common Redstarts were at Honey Hill, Cold Ashby this afternoon and the Ruddy Shelduck was reported from Stanford Reservoir this morning.

Clouded Yellow butterflies were in fields off the footpath between Old and Walgrave and a number of Gypsy Moths have been recorded in the county during the last twenty-four hours.

Regards

Neil M

Little Owl.

Lesser Emperor.

Above images courtesy
of Stuart Munday.

Peacock butterfly.

Red Admiral butterfly.

Using bird ringing to assess breeding success and migration

Hello

A cooler start to the day and with the second bank of cloud to roll in this morning came an increase in wind strength still from the north.

A ringing session at Harrington Airfield provided one hundred and sixty birds for the examination of twenty species. The high number appears to be the result of some local breeding success in some species and an indication that many passage passerines are already on the move through the county. Harrington Airfield has a colony of breeding Willow Warblers but of the seven handled today only one was a bird hatched this year suggesting a very poor output, and with the adults now in main wing and tail moult it seems that breeding has all-but concluded on-site this year.

Forty-five Common Whitethroats seems to confirm a good year for this species including returning birds from last year, and we also encountered four Lesser Whitethroats, ten Blackcaps, six Garden Warblers, a Grasshopper Warbler (of two present) and three Chiffchaffs. Three Common Redstarts were caught and ringed but it seems likely that other birds were in the scrub and bushes too. Twelve Blackbirds was a surprisingly high number considering how dry it is up there and seven Linnets and five Yellowhammers were typical of the location. A couple of Clouded Yellows were present too.

Stanford Reservoir today hosted a Ferruginous Duck, the Ruddy Shelduck, the Black-necked Grebe, a Dunlin, three Common Sandpipers and a Raven. Ringers operating there this morning caught and processed three hundred and forty-four birds of which two hundred and eighty-nine were newly ringed. Already impressive warbler numbers were two Grasshopper Warblers, forty-eight Reed Warblers, sixty-five Sedge Warblers, thirty-five Common Whitethroats, a Lesser Whitethroat, forty Blackcaps, nine Garden Warblers, thirty-six Chiffchaffs and seven Willow Warblers.

 

A possible Black Stork was seen in flight over Desborough heading towards Rushton this morning and two Hobby were seen near there later in the day. A Common Redstart and a Marsh Harrier were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning with Ravens around the village this afternoon.

In the Nene Valley there was a Marsh Harrier at Summer Leys LNR and at Thrapston Pits an Osprey and adult Yellow-legged Gull were around Elinor Lake and a Black-tailed Godwit remained on the Titchmarsh reserve.

At Clifford Hill Pits a Carrion Crow was seen to predate a juvenile Black-headed Gull and other birds were an adult Caspian Gull, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Little Ringed Plover, a Common Sandpiper and a juvenile Common Redstart in the south-west corner.

Pitsford Reservoir hosted at least two Ospreys, a Hobby and a Common Redstart north of the causeway and an area next to the A508 Clipston turn-off next to a bio fuel compound north of Kelmarsh attracted thirty Yellow Wagtails and a hundred each of Linnet and Swallow.

Late this afternoon and a visit to Borough Hill Country Park, Daventry provided for a family of vocal Peregrines, three or four Common Redstarts, two Spotted Flycatchers and plenty of common warblers.

Regards

Neil M

Common Redstart at Harrington Airfield 
today - the moulting process means they
don't look at their best at this time of the
year!

Adult male Linnet.

Above images courtesy
of Jane Neill.

Gatekeeper.

Marbled White. This species may
now be over for another year as
the high numbers suddenly reduce.

Common Redstart Frenzy!!!

Plenty of Common Redstarts reported today as they start to move from their breeding ground.  Two juveniles remain at Clifford Hill GP, at least 2 were at Blueberry including a stunning male, a further bird at shrike hedge caught up in a roving warbler/tit flock,  2 or 3 birds in their favourite hedgerows between Old and Walgrave, one at Draughton car park along the Brampton Valley Way,  at least 2 at Harrington Airfield this evening including a male and one below Hanging Houghton.  Phew, these are the ones that we know about but it does make you wonder how many others are passing unnoticed through the county. 

Other birds reported today include a Black Necked Grebe, adult Mediterranean Gull, Black Tailed Godwit and Common Sandpiper at Daventry CP,  a  Black Necked Grebe and female Ruddy Shelduck at Stanford Reservoir,  Marsh Harrier at Summer Leys,  Osprey,  Grasshopper Warbler and Black Tailed Godwit at Titchmarsh LNR, adult Yellow Legged Gull,  3 Great White Egrets and Hobby north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir,  2 Tree Sparrows near Old and a Greenshank and family of Spotted Flycatchers at Sywell Reservoir.   Currently the water level is very low at Sywell due to work that has been carried out on the dam and now it is just waiting for rain to fill it up again.  It certainly looks as if it should attract some interesting waders but I think that it is very under watched. But it is definitely worth a visit or two.     Whilst I have been out and about today I have definitely noticed a big movement of birds in the hedgerows,  mainly warblers and tits but other things do tend to tag along too.  I spent nearly an hour just watching the birds moving along shrike hedge below Hanging Houghton this morning and I lost count of the number of Common Whitethroats that went past me, but I was also rewarded with a Grasshopper Warbler,  Lesser Whitethroat and Common Redstart.  It's always worth slowing down and just watching a small area instead of covering lots of ground although my collies would prefer that I did the latter.                                                                           Have a good weekend however you spend it. I will be at an agility competition whilst Neil is ringing at Harrington Airfield,  so watch this space to see what hits the nets !!

Regards Eleanor 

A few images of the low water level at Sywell Reservoir 

Brown Argus and Dunnock,  courtesy of Tony Stanford 

Tystie looking very pleased with himself.  First time out competing and he did a fabulous run finishing in 1st place. Exciting times ahead with him.

Heat-fueled birds and insects

Hello

Another warm day with plenty of butterflies and insects on the move!

All the Black-necked Grebes from yesterday were present and correct today with the three at Daventry Country Park still in west bay and the Stanford Reservoir bird not far off the dam. The female Ruddy Shelduck is still at Stanford Reservoir again today plus three Common Sandpipers, the two Shoveler ducklings, a Great White Egret and a Kingfisher. Other birds located at Daventry Country Park were a juvenile Mediterranean Gull, a Green Sandpiper and a Common Sandpiper.

Two Common Redstarts were at Harrington Airfield this morning, one about 50m south of Bunker One and another in scrub between Bunkers Two and Three. Please note that some ringing is planned for there on Saturday morning when the area between the Chippings Compound and the main concrete track will have restricted access.

A Black-tailed Godwit was at the north end of Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits today and Ravens were at Moulton and Hanging Houghton.

A third hand report was received of a Golden Oriole flying over the A508 just outside the village of Roade yesterday.

Clifford Hill Pits hosted four Little Ringed Plovers, a Common Sandpiper, a Redshank, two Ravens and an adult Caspian Gull today.

An Osprey and a Mandarin Duck were north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir this evening and two or three Common Redstarts were at Honey Hill, Cold Ashby along the Jurassic Way footpath near to the commemorative stone

Seemingly lots of new arrival Painted Ladies in the county today and a Silver-washed Fritillary was by the small Brampton Valley car park below Hanging Houghton this afternoon. Two Clouded Yellows were between Gamboro' Plantation and Blueberry Farm, Maidwell.

A White-letter Hairstreak was found at Stoke Wood End Quarter reserve and a Purple Emperor and a swarm of Migrant Hawkers were at Brampton Wood. Three Blue-eyed Hawkers were at Priors Hall, Corby today - what3words drifters.sympathy.rams where also Dingy Skipper.

Regards

Neil M

Silver-washed Fritillary.

White-legged Damselfly.

Juvenile Pied Wagtail courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Cormorant.

Black-necked Grebes and Blue-eyed Hawkers

Hello

Similar weather to the last couple of days and nothing extraordinary found.

The exception was Stanford Reservoir where a Black-necked Grebe was found off the dam this morning and other birds were the female Ruddy Shelduck still and three Common Sandpipers.

The three Black-necked Grebes were also still at Daventry Country Park today where also a Dunlin, a Common Sandpiper and a Green Sandpiper.

A breeding pair of Spotted Flycatchers were located in Guilsborough, two Common Redstarts were at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this morning and a female was at Bunker Two at Harrington Airfield.

The two juvenile Common Redstarts were still at Clifford Hill Pits this morning, in the south-west corner of the complex.

At Pitsford Reservoir there were one or two juvenile Marsh Harrier(s) north of the causeway, with one spending a long period of time perched in trees on The Point and preening. Other birds noted were an adult Yellow-legged Gull, three Great White Egrets and a juvenile Cuckoo. Two Yellow-legged Gulls were seen in the vicinity of the dam in the afternoon.

Nine Wasp Spiders were found at Summer Leys LNR today plus Hummingbird Hawk-moth, Brown Argus and Small Copper butterflies. Blue-eyed Hawkers (or Southern Migrant Hawkers if you prefer) were seen at South Gullet upstream from Priors Hall Lake, Corby (what3words nuggets.shrugging.clasp) and from a private area at Denton Wood in the Yardley Hastings complex.

There was a Hummingbird Hawk-moth in a Creaton garden and at least three Clouded Yellow butterflies at Collyweston bridge.

Regards

Neil M

Great White Egret courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Wasp Spider at Summer Leys LNR
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Blue-eyed Hawker (alternative name
Southern Migrant Hawker) courtesy
of Steve Brayshaw.

Blue-eyed Hawker (or Southern Migrant
Hawker) courtesy of Nigel Muddiman.

Linnet courtesy of
John Tilly.