Windy Saturday

Hello

More blustery conditions today with periods of sunshine and the occasional shower.

The more interesting birds reported today in Northamptonshire included a Cattle Egret at the north end of Stanwick Pits and a hepatic (rufous-phased) Cuckoo near Mary's Lake at Earls Barton Pits.

I saw recently-fledged Blue Tits and Tree Sparrows today and our Pied Wagtail family is actually made up of four juveniles and not three! A male Sparrowhawk visited our garden today and grabbed a juvenile (but full size) Blackbird but then released the bird under duress when the brave Blackbird parents immediately attacked him and drove him off after hearing their youngster's distress calls - amazing stuff!

Other bits and bobs included a Spotted Flycatcher at Beck Dairy, Cottesbrooke again, a Kingfisher along the brook in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and a Hobby for the third day in a row over the garden.

Regards

Neil M

First year female and male Blackbirds,
both birds hatched last year and now
collecting food for their own dependent
 young.

Clearly a female Grey Squirrel
with dependent young in the dray
judging from her condition.

Adult female House Sparrow with a
small Crane Fly sp. Most seed-eating
passerines hunt invertebrate food for
their youngsters in order to provide
sufficient protein for health and growth.

One of the recently-fledged
Pied Wagtails currently in our
garden!