Hello
More lovely sunshine today compensated for the cold air and made for a smashing spring day.
The morning was spent at Ditchford Pits completing the March WeBS count. The pits west of Ditchford Lane produced a pair of Egyptian Geese, three Oystercatchers and a Shelduck and there were nine Common Snipe on marshy land east of the lane. Chiffchaffs and Cetti's Warblers were in reasonable numbers but unusually there were no Kingfishers seen and very few Great Crested Grebes in their usual haunts.
Two egrets roosting in bushes on Delta Pit underneath the Cormorant colony proved to be a Little Egret and a part summer plumage Cattle Egret. This pit is between the old Skew Bridge pit and the Wilsons Pits complex and the birds were relatively close to a wooden viewing platform on the circular walk that surrounds the old Skew Bridge Pit and is accessible from the Rushden Lakes Shopping Centre.
Butterflies were on show in sheltered areas and included the expected Brimstones and Small Tortoiseshells but two Orange-tips seemed early. Nick Parker later located a Little Ringed Plover on the adjacent Irthlingborough Lakes reserve and Bob Bullock saw four Little Ringed Plovers at Clifford Hill Pits on pools by the river footbridge.
Summerleys NR hosted a drake Garganey today as reported by Kim Taylor and later Dave Jackson. Eric's walk at Thrapston Pits today produced records of a Kingfisher, a small flock of House Martins, two Green Sandpipers, three Little Egrets, two Great White Egrets, two Pink-footed Geese still and a pair of Shelduck. Chiffchaffs and Cetti's Warblers were present in numbers and butterflies here included Comma and Small Tortoiseshell.
This afternoon the Great Grey Shrike was on show again from the track between Hanging Houghton and Cottesbrooke and other birds included a Barn Owl, three Bramblings, two Corn Buntings and fifty fly-over Fieldfares.
Regards
Neil M
More lovely sunshine today compensated for the cold air and made for a smashing spring day.
The morning was spent at Ditchford Pits completing the March WeBS count. The pits west of Ditchford Lane produced a pair of Egyptian Geese, three Oystercatchers and a Shelduck and there were nine Common Snipe on marshy land east of the lane. Chiffchaffs and Cetti's Warblers were in reasonable numbers but unusually there were no Kingfishers seen and very few Great Crested Grebes in their usual haunts.
Two egrets roosting in bushes on Delta Pit underneath the Cormorant colony proved to be a Little Egret and a part summer plumage Cattle Egret. This pit is between the old Skew Bridge pit and the Wilsons Pits complex and the birds were relatively close to a wooden viewing platform on the circular walk that surrounds the old Skew Bridge Pit and is accessible from the Rushden Lakes Shopping Centre.
Butterflies were on show in sheltered areas and included the expected Brimstones and Small Tortoiseshells but two Orange-tips seemed early. Nick Parker later located a Little Ringed Plover on the adjacent Irthlingborough Lakes reserve and Bob Bullock saw four Little Ringed Plovers at Clifford Hill Pits on pools by the river footbridge.
Summerleys NR hosted a drake Garganey today as reported by Kim Taylor and later Dave Jackson. Eric's walk at Thrapston Pits today produced records of a Kingfisher, a small flock of House Martins, two Green Sandpipers, three Little Egrets, two Great White Egrets, two Pink-footed Geese still and a pair of Shelduck. Chiffchaffs and Cetti's Warblers were present in numbers and butterflies here included Comma and Small Tortoiseshell.
This afternoon the Great Grey Shrike was on show again from the track between Hanging Houghton and Cottesbrooke and other birds included a Barn Owl, three Bramblings, two Corn Buntings and fifty fly-over Fieldfares.
Regards
Neil M
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| Great Grey Shrike this afternoon between HH and Cottesbrooke, image taken by Eleanor. |
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