Hello
Yesterday (Tuesday) and Chris Payne committed to a little ringing at one of his sites at Bradden in South Northants and quickly caught and processed 51 birds made up of the usual tits plus five Goldcrests, two Wrens, two Dunnocks, a Chaffinch and two new Siskins.
Today (Wednesday) and ringer John Woollett was surprised to catch and ring a Grey Wagtail in his Astcote garden.
For a few hours yesterday afternoon and again this morning there was some ringing activity at Pitsford Reservoir around the Old Scaldwell Road Feeding Station. One hundred and five birds were caught and processed of seventeen species with half the total being Blue and Great Tits and further proof of an exceptionally good breeding year for these species locally! Other birds included four Redwings, a Song Thrush, a Treecreeper, a Moorhen, two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, nine Tree Sparrows, five Meadow Pipits, two Yellowhammers and three Reed Buntings. A return to form of twelve Chaffinches probably includes migrant birds.
Other birds noted from here included at least two Great White Egrets, a Grey Wagtail, two Stonechats, an adult Yellow-legged Gull and a male Brambling. However the best birds were two vocal Woodlarks which flew directly overhead and then around the Scaldwell Bay before being lost to view undulating steadily north. This species remains remarkably scarce in the county but this record is my second sighting at the reservoir this year.
This afternoon and the adult female Merlin was again in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton, and again she was chasing Skylarks which are present in reasonable numbers. With two male Merlins on and off last winter in exactly the same place, hopefully this female will remain in the valley whilst there are plenty of birds for her to pursue. Other birds included a pair of Stonechat and two Bramblings. The Chaffinch flock at the large barn below the village and close to the Brampton Brook is growing nicely and hopefully will attract some of these Bramblings any day now!
Elsewhere today and Nick saw a Great White Egret and at least ten Little Egrets at Thrapston Pits, a Peregrine was noted at Castle Ashby, a Pintail at Lower Barnwell lock floods off the A605 and birds at Stanwick Pits included a Great White Egret, a Ruff and a Pintail.
Regards
Neil M
Yesterday (Tuesday) and Chris Payne committed to a little ringing at one of his sites at Bradden in South Northants and quickly caught and processed 51 birds made up of the usual tits plus five Goldcrests, two Wrens, two Dunnocks, a Chaffinch and two new Siskins.
Today (Wednesday) and ringer John Woollett was surprised to catch and ring a Grey Wagtail in his Astcote garden.
For a few hours yesterday afternoon and again this morning there was some ringing activity at Pitsford Reservoir around the Old Scaldwell Road Feeding Station. One hundred and five birds were caught and processed of seventeen species with half the total being Blue and Great Tits and further proof of an exceptionally good breeding year for these species locally! Other birds included four Redwings, a Song Thrush, a Treecreeper, a Moorhen, two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, nine Tree Sparrows, five Meadow Pipits, two Yellowhammers and three Reed Buntings. A return to form of twelve Chaffinches probably includes migrant birds.
Other birds noted from here included at least two Great White Egrets, a Grey Wagtail, two Stonechats, an adult Yellow-legged Gull and a male Brambling. However the best birds were two vocal Woodlarks which flew directly overhead and then around the Scaldwell Bay before being lost to view undulating steadily north. This species remains remarkably scarce in the county but this record is my second sighting at the reservoir this year.
This afternoon and the adult female Merlin was again in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton, and again she was chasing Skylarks which are present in reasonable numbers. With two male Merlins on and off last winter in exactly the same place, hopefully this female will remain in the valley whilst there are plenty of birds for her to pursue. Other birds included a pair of Stonechat and two Bramblings. The Chaffinch flock at the large barn below the village and close to the Brampton Brook is growing nicely and hopefully will attract some of these Bramblings any day now!
Elsewhere today and Nick saw a Great White Egret and at least ten Little Egrets at Thrapston Pits, a Peregrine was noted at Castle Ashby, a Pintail at Lower Barnwell lock floods off the A605 and birds at Stanwick Pits included a Great White Egret, a Ruff and a Pintail.
Regards
Neil M
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| Male and female Siskins courtesy of Chris Payne. |
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