Hello
A Sunday evening visit back to the River Welland at Market Harborough provided close views of an Otter, albeit at dusk in challenging light conditions.
Another blustery day (Monday) with squalls and sharp showers gave way to lovely sunshine but still a strong wind and a beautiful evening.
Matt Hazleton was on the ball at Summer Leys LNR this morning, locating two juvenile Black-necked Grebes off Round Island, a very early 'autumn' dispersal record. Later observers enjoyed these birds plus a party of up to twenty-three Black-tailed Godwits and a fly-over Curlew.
Steve's morning visit to Stanwick provided views of four Mediterranean Gulls, a Green Sandpiper and two Barnacle Geese. And Chris Hubbard's continual birding at Stanford Reservoir paid off again with a Little Tern over the dam that flew off west just after 8am.
An Osprey put in an appearance at Hollowell Reservoir again this evening and two Turtle Doves together were seen at a site in the county this afternoon.
Pitsford Reservoir has plenty of waterbirds on show in the Scaldwell Bay currently and in among them were eight splendid adult Black-tailed Godwits on the shoreline between the Maytrees and Bird Club hides. A party of six migrant adult Redshanks were resting on one of the tern rafts, pretty much ignoring the hustle and bustle all around them! The drake Red-crested Pochard was loosely associated with the Gadwall flock there. A colour-ringed Common Tern was photographed and I await details of where it originates.
Although I have suspected it for some time, today was the first time I have actually witnessed a Cormorant predate another waterbird - a well-grown (three quarter size) juvenile Great Crested Grebe was the unfortunate victim with the adults helpless to intervene. The Cormorant drowned the grebe and then swallowed it whole - they are capable of swallowing large fish but this probably didn't slide down so easily!
The non-avian highlights of a stroll and bird feeding expedition to Harrington Airfield was a Grass Snake, Blue Emperor dragonflies and of course Marbled White butterflies. The best birds at Hanging Houghton was a Hobby and a couple of Siskins.
This evening a Quail was calling from a barley field between Cottesbrooke and Blueberry Farm (at about SP 720753) and a male Peregrine was nearby.
Regards
Neil M
A Sunday evening visit back to the River Welland at Market Harborough provided close views of an Otter, albeit at dusk in challenging light conditions.
Another blustery day (Monday) with squalls and sharp showers gave way to lovely sunshine but still a strong wind and a beautiful evening.
Matt Hazleton was on the ball at Summer Leys LNR this morning, locating two juvenile Black-necked Grebes off Round Island, a very early 'autumn' dispersal record. Later observers enjoyed these birds plus a party of up to twenty-three Black-tailed Godwits and a fly-over Curlew.
Steve's morning visit to Stanwick provided views of four Mediterranean Gulls, a Green Sandpiper and two Barnacle Geese. And Chris Hubbard's continual birding at Stanford Reservoir paid off again with a Little Tern over the dam that flew off west just after 8am.
An Osprey put in an appearance at Hollowell Reservoir again this evening and two Turtle Doves together were seen at a site in the county this afternoon.
Pitsford Reservoir has plenty of waterbirds on show in the Scaldwell Bay currently and in among them were eight splendid adult Black-tailed Godwits on the shoreline between the Maytrees and Bird Club hides. A party of six migrant adult Redshanks were resting on one of the tern rafts, pretty much ignoring the hustle and bustle all around them! The drake Red-crested Pochard was loosely associated with the Gadwall flock there. A colour-ringed Common Tern was photographed and I await details of where it originates.
Although I have suspected it for some time, today was the first time I have actually witnessed a Cormorant predate another waterbird - a well-grown (three quarter size) juvenile Great Crested Grebe was the unfortunate victim with the adults helpless to intervene. The Cormorant drowned the grebe and then swallowed it whole - they are capable of swallowing large fish but this probably didn't slide down so easily!
The non-avian highlights of a stroll and bird feeding expedition to Harrington Airfield was a Grass Snake, Blue Emperor dragonflies and of course Marbled White butterflies. The best birds at Hanging Houghton was a Hobby and a couple of Siskins.
This evening a Quail was calling from a barley field between Cottesbrooke and Blueberry Farm (at about SP 720753) and a male Peregrine was nearby.
Regards
Neil M
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| Otter at Market Harborough. |
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| Just-fledged Spotted Flycatcher. |
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| Black-tailed Godwits at Pitsford Reservoir. |
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| Distant image of a Cormorant swallowing a Great Crested Grebe. |
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| Colour-ringed Common Tern. |
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