Spotted Flycatchers, warblers and butterflies.

Small Heath butterfly.

Hello

Despite initially ideal ringing conditions for mist nets this morning, I came away from a ringing session at Harrington Airfield with just twenty-one captures. It was definitely quality and not quantity today with the catch being made up of two Blackbirds, a Robin, a Blue Tit, two Blackcaps, a Garden Warbler, a Common Whitethroat, a Lesser Whitethroat, three Willow Warblers (including another returning bird from last year), a Grasshopper Warbler, two Linnets and six Yellowhammers.

A hunting Barn Owl was there to greet me when I arrived early this morning as were two pairs of Muntjac and several Brown Hares. Butterflies again included Common Blue and Small Heath and a few Red Admirals were on the wing today.

Spotted Flycatchers are currently at a number of sites locally should anyone be struggling to catch up with this declining summer visitor. During the last two days they have been found along the Brampton Valley Way north of Draughton Crossing, Beck Dairy outside the village of Cottesbrooke, New Covert between Kelmarsh and Arthingworth and the Fishing Lodge at Pitsford Reservoir (reserve and site still closed but birds audible at least from the road).

A Hobby was over the garden early this afternoon, Clifford Hill Pits hosted a Sandwich Tern briefly this morning plus a Pink-footed Goose and Summer Leys was the venue for a lingering Great White Egret and a Common Sandpiper. The long-staying Red-crested Pochard was still at Stortons Pits today.

An adult male Peregrine was again in the Blueberry Farm area near Maidwell this evening...

Regards

Neil M

Spotted Flycatcher courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Common Blue butterfly.