All plans to complete a variety of chores and little jobs soon evaporated as today's fine weather forced us out in to the field!
Our first venue was Harrington Airfield which hosted large numbers of common birds such as Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Linnet, Goldfinch, Meadow Pipit and Skylark but we failed to find anything scarce or unusual. Plenty of Merlin fodder on the top fields though, and now that the adult male appears to have departed it is surely only a matter of days before the next nomadic individual finds this wealth of food.
A Hobby showed again and two Ravens remained mobile in the area. Reasonable numbers of five species of common warblers were concentrated in the willows and Elderberry bushes.
After breakfast a visit to Hollowell Res was called for. The water level here continues to plummet but unfortunately it doesn't seem to be attracting many new birds. Nevertheless we notched up the two Barnacle Geese, three drake Pintail, an adult Yellow-legged Gull, another Hobby and a Stonechat. Distant waders shimmered in the heat haze but defied definitive identification!
Next then to Ravensthorpe Res and a quick scan from the causeway yielded a Garganey, a Little Egret, a Kingfisher, a Grey Wagtail and a Ruff.
A drive over to Daventry Country Park was justified as Gary Pullan had kindly located a Red-necked Grebe earlier in the day. The bird was loafing off the dam when we arrived and unfortunately the light and distance was not kind to us. A smart bird though and I couldn't help wondering whether this is the same bird that has appeared at a couple of sites in the county this year and neighbouring counties too. A Common Sandpiper was also noted.
A mid-afternoon walk around Borough Hill Country Park provided a decent selection of birds in hazy and warm sunshine, the best being four Redstarts, seven Spotted Flycatchers, plenty of common warblers, four Ravens and a Hobby.
An evening foray in to the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Res provided views of a Great White Egret (first located by David Arden) fishing in the lagoon in front of the James Fisher Hide, two Little Egrets, an adult Yellow-legged Gull, a Kingfisher, a Hobby and seven Red-crested Pochard.
Regards
Neil M
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| Barnacle Geese Hollowell Res |
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| Small Tortoiseshell Hollowell Res. |
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| Red-necked Grebe Daventry CP |
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| Redstart Borough Hill CP |
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| Raven Borough Hill CP |
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| Great White Egret Pitsford Res |
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