Dull and damp Wednesday

Hello

Yesterday (Tuesday) Chris Payne committed to some solo ringing near Greens Norton and processed over a hundred birds. Great Tits and Blue Tits dominated but other birds included three Blackcaps, five Chiffchaffs, a Treecreeper, a Goldfinch and five Great Spotted Woodpeckers.

Yesterday evening John Hunt was standing in his Spratton garden admiring the Swifts flying around and was pleased to see a Barn Owl checking out the garden meadow. As he stood there the Barn Owl flew towards him and landed on his head for a couple of seconds! It then flew around and went to land on his head again, only thwarted as John tried to photograph the event!

Today (Wednesday) and birds at Pitsford Reservoir included Spotted Flycatchers, a Grey Wagtail, a Common Sandpiper and a Green Sandpiper at the south end and two Yellow-legged Gulls and three Common Sandpipers and over two hundred Gadwall on the reserve north of the causeway.

Birds at Stanwick Pits included a Whimbrel flying over in a south westerly direction and a Cattle Egret which flew east as well as a Yellow-legged Gull.

In the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton a pair of Grey Partridges still had their two young, there was a Barn Owl and a Little Owl and mammals active this evening included a Badger, a Muntjac with a brief view of an Otter again.

Two Siskins flew over Harrington Airfield this morning and a Grasshopper Warbler was 'reeling' near Bunker One; five Grey Wagtails were at Brixworth Water Treatment Works.

I did't see the Otter at Market Harborough this evening but the Peregrine was present on the church spire in the town centre.

Regards

Neil M

Treecreeper courtesy
of Chris Payne.

Wood Wasp or Horntail
courtesy of David Arden.

Kite-tailed Robber Fly
courtesy of Robin Gossage.