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.

More waders, more chats, more flycatchers!

Hello

The drought conditions had led to draw-down conditions at many of our reservoirs, lakes and gravel pits and thus we are seeing some good numbers of waders passing through and stopping over to gorge themselves on the invertebrates that live in the mud and margins.

Daventry Country Park, Boddington Reservoir, Sywell Country Park, the Earls Barton New Workings/Whiston Wetlands, Summer Leys LNR, Clifford Hill Pits, and Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapson Pits and Stanwick Lakes are all attracting waders. The canal-providing reservoirs of Welford, Sulby and Naseby are the same and the Anglian Water reservoirs at Ravensthorpe, Hollowell and Pitsford are all worth a visit if you like your autumn waders!

At Stanford Reservoir today a Cattle Egret flew west and there was a Little Ringed Plover, seven Common Sandpipers, a Great White Egret, ten Yellow Wagtails, a Whinchat and five Spotted Flycatchers.

The Pectoral Sandpiper and Spotted Redshank were still at Daventry Country Park and Naseby Reservoir hosted the Caspian Gull again plus two Dunlin, two Ruff, four Green Sandpipers and seven Common Snipe.

Ravensthorpe Reservoir had a good day with a juvenile Arctic Tern, up to seven Black Terns, four Green Sandpipers, three Common Sandpipers and four Common Snipe.

Hollowell Reservoir attracted two Ruff, a Ringed Plover, two Redshanks, a Green Sandpiper, a Greenshank, five Common Sandpipers and a Whinchat.

A couple of observers at Pitsford Reservoir produced sightings of three adult Yellow-legged Gulls off the dam where also a Common Sandpiper, a Kingfisher, a Grey Wagtail, five Egyptian Geese, twenty Pied Wagtails and a juvenile Whinchat. At the other end, north of the causeway there were nine Great White Egrets, thirty Pied Wagtails, three Black-tailed Godwits, four Ruff, at least three Greenshank, at least four Green Sandpipers, at least two Common Sandpipers, a Common Snipe, three Little Ringed Plovers, three Shelduck, two Garganey, an Osprey and an adult Yellow-legged Gull.

Clifford Hill Pits this morning provided for six Curlews flying east, a Greenshank, a Dunlin, two Little Ringed Plovers, a Ringed Plover, three Common Sandpipers and two Common Snipe. A Tree Pipit flew over calling, a Wheatear was on the north shore and in excess of sixty Yellow Wagtails exited the overnight roost.

Up to ten Greenshank and a Redshank were on the main lake at Stanwick Pits today, a Black Tern was on Town Lake, Thrapston Pits and a Bittern was seen at Summer Leys LNR where also a Ruff and Green Sandpiper.

Some twenty Spotted Flycatchers and a male Common Redstart remained at Lamport Hall this afternoon and a concentration of birds there this evening included a first year Pied Flycatcher - in exactly the same spot where an adult male was yesterday! Today's bird showed very well this evening with regular forays to the ground and often sitting out in the open.

Two Wheatears were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton by shrike hedge early this morning

Regards

Neil M

Wheatear.

Whinchat.

Spotted Flycatcher.

Above images courtesy of Tony Stanford
capturing the current birds of the moment.

This evening's Pied Flycatcher
at Lamport Hall courtesy of
Tyler Atkinson.

Late August birding in the county

Hello

Little in the way of promised rain today but tomorrow's forecast looks more promising for precipitation.

The long-staying Pectoral Sandpiper and the Spotted Redshank were both at Daventry Country Park today.

A Black Tern was at Boddington Reservoir today and Stanford Reservoir had the Ferruginous Duck still, a Mandarin Duck, two Pintail, five Common Sandpipers, a Common Snipe, a Green Sandpiper, two Kingfishers and a Spotted Flycatcher.

Up to six Grey Wagtails and two Ravens were in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth and at Pitsford Reservoir there was a Black Tern and at least fifteen Yellow Wagtails at the dam end and the Scaldwell Bay hosted three Black-tailed Godwits, a Greenshank, three Common Sandpipers and four Great White Egrets.

Hollowell Reservoir attracted two Ruff, a Ringed Plover, two Redshanks, a Green Sandpiper and three Common Snipe. The Caspian Gull was again reported from Naseby Reservoir.

A male Pied Flycatcher was a great find amongst some twenty Spotted Flycatchers at Lamport Hall this evening, where also two Common Redstarts and a Barn Owl.

An Osprey was seen in flight over Arthingworth, three Little Terns were seen in flight over Wollaston and nearby Summer Leys LNR hosted a Ruff, a Dunlin, a Green Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper and four Common Snipe.

Clifford Hill Pits was the venue for two Greenshanks, a Ruff, a Ringed Plover, four Common Sandpipers and a Whinchat. A Wheatear was seen at Brackley.

Thrapston Pits provided views of a Greenshank, a Spotted Flycatcher and a Wheatear.

Regards

Neil M

Hobby courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Herring Gulls.

Mute Swan courtesy
of Tyler Atkinson.

Waders, chats and flycatchers

Hello

A very quiet WeBS count at Ditchford Pits with the only birds of note west of Ditchford Lane being a Common Sandpiper, up to nine Common Snipe, two Hobbys, a Kingfisher and a handful of Cetti's Warblers. East of Ditchford Lane and it was even quieter!

Up to about a dozen Spotted Flycatchers were at Lamport Hall this evening and two Barn Owls were located.

Two or three Common Redstarts were in the usual hedging off the footpath south of Old/Cherry Hill/Walgrave with about twenty Clouded Yellows in the lucerne field.

At Stanford Reservoir today the Ferruginous Duck was seen again plus a Mandarin Duck, a Great White Egret, two Kingfishers, six Common Sandpipers, twenty-five Yellow Wagtails and four Spotted Flycatchers.

The Pectoral Sandpiper was again located at Daventry Country Park today and the Spotted Redshank was still present too.

Hollowell Reservoir sported a juvenile Black Tern off the dam, a Ringed Plover, a Greenshank, two Redshanks, a Common Sandpiper and a family of ten Egyptian Geese! Naseby Reservoir hosted the Caspian Gull as usual plus a Ruff, two Green Sandpipers, six Common Sandpipers and a Wheatear.

Birds north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir this morning were an Osprey, three Greenshanks, three Black-tailed Godwits, a Ruff and a Common Sandpiper.

In the Nene Valley, Clifford Hill Pits provided for two Common Sandpipers, fifty-eight Yellow Wagtails, a Common Redstart, at least three Whinchats (please see video below courtesy of Tyler Atkinson) and a Wheatear.

The New Workings section of the Earls Barton Pits complex still had a Glossy Ibis this afternoon, a Spotted Redshank, at least seven Green Sandpipers and three Common Sandpipers. A Glossy Ibis was on the scrape at Summer Leys LNR this evening with a Marsh Harrier earlier in the afternoon.

During the last couple of evenings, Kenny Cramer and team have tried roost catching at Linford Lakes reserve on the edge of Milton Keynes and succeeded in catching and processing good numbers of warblers, Sand Martins, Swallows and Yellow Wagtails.

Regards

Neil M

Yellow Wagtail courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

Egyptian Goose.

A grisly end to a Ruff at
Pitsford Reservoir, with this
image of a Grey Heron courtesy
of John Kirkelionis.

Spotted Flycatchers on the move

Hello

A day of very pleasant temperatures and sunshine, hopefully with some rain towards the latter end of the week.

The Pectoral Sandpiper was again reported from Daventry Country Park this morning.

At Stanford Reservoir today a Common Redstart was caught and ringed and birds noted on-site were seven Common Sandpipers, a Yellow-legged Gull, a Wheatear, fifteen Yellow Wagtails and at least a hundred Cormorants.

Two Great White Egrets, a leucistic Woodpigeon and a Spotted Flycatcher were noted in the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Reservoir late this afternoon.

Two Whinchats and a Common Redstart were at Clifford Hill Pits this morning with later observations of two Wheatears, a Raven and a Stoat. The Earls Barton Pits New Workings was the location of a Glossy Ibis, a Spotted Redshank and three Green Sandpipers. Presumably the same Glossy Ibis was seen flying over Summer Leys LNR earlier in the morning and where also a Marsh Harrier was seen.

A Hobby was seen over Abington Park, Northampton and two Little Ringed Plovers and two Common Sandpipers were at Sywell Country Park.

A Garganey was located at Sulby Reservoir where also a Common Snipe and two Common Sandpipers and nearby at Naseby Reservoir the regular adult Caspian Gull was present plus two Green Sandpipers and six Common Sandpipers.

Spotted Flycatchers are probably at their most numerous now as they move through and linger to fatten up before moving further south - two parties of them were at Castle Ashby Lakes (where also a Kingfisher) and four Spotted Flycatchers were at Woodford Halse LNR. A very large gathering of thirty plus Spotted Flycatchers were at Lamport Hall this evening where also a Common Redstart, a Hobby and two Ravens.

A visit to Harrington Airfield provided two Spotted Flycatchers, three Common Redstarts, a Whinchat, a Wheatear and a Marsh Harrier. Two Common Redstarts and a Whinchat were at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell.

Regards

Neil M

Lesser Whitethroat.

Common Whitethroat.

Spotted Flycatcher Lamport Hall
courtesy of David Smith.

A week-end of ringing and migration

Hello

My apologies for no blog entry yesterday, computer issues!

Bird ringing operations continued apace at Stanford Reservoir over the week-end and amongst many migrants processed the highlights were a Wryneck yesterday and a Tree Pipit today.

Yesterday (Saturday) and some ringing at Harrington Airfield provided eighty-eight captures with perhaps the highlights being a first year Grasshopper Warbler and six Lesser Whitethroats. Other warblers were four Willow Warblers, thirty Blackcaps, ten Common Whitethroats and a Reed Warbler. A juvenile House Sparrow was the first of this species to be ringed at this site and other birds were sixteen Linnets and six Yellowhammers. A Tree Pipit flew south at 6am and two Common Redstarts were heard calling but evaded the mist nets.

Today (Sunday) and some ringing at Brixworth Water Treatment Works provided one hundred and eight captures which included a smart first year male Common Redstart, two Song Thrushes, eight Chiffchaffs, two Willow Warblers (including an adult seemingly of the northern race 'acredula'), a Garden Warbler, twenty Blackcaps, eleven Common Whitethroats, two Sedge Warblers, a Reed Warbler, a Grey Wagtail and eleven Goldfinches.

Birding-wise the Pectoral Sandpiper was still at Daventry Country Park today where a Spotted Redshank was also located.

At Stanford Reservoir the Ferruginous Duck was seen again and other birds were two juvenile Water Rails, four Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper, two Kingfishers, a Spotted Flycatcher, a Common Redstart and ten Yellow Wagtails.

Hollowell Reservoir attracted an Osprey, a Ringed Plover, three Dunlin, a Greenshank, three Common Sandpipers and five Common Snipe.

At Clifford Hill Pits there was a Common Redstart, four Little Ringed Plovers, three or four Common Sandpipers, seven Common Snipe and forty-eight Yellow Wagtails, and two Marsh Harriers were seen at Summer Leys LNR.

Three Yellow-legged Gulls, a Water Rail and a Common Snipe were at Priory Hall Lake, Corby.

At least a dozen Spotted Flycatchers and a male Common Redstart were at Lamport Hall today.

Family parties of Hobby were at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell and Harlestone/Nobottle.

Regards

Neil M

Common Redstart at Brixworth today
courtesy of Sean Gower.

Grasshopper Warbler yesterday courtesy
of Freddy Try.

Drinker moth.