Hello
Yesterday provided a couple of interesting 'out of season' records including a Merlin near to Hanging Houghton Sewer Works (Fiona Barclay) and several birds seen at Earls Barton whilst searching for the 'small heron' which included the Spoonbill again on Hardwater Lake, a Peregrine, a Hobby, two Water Rails and a 'reeling' Grasshopper Warbler. Birds at Harrington Airfield in the evening included two Common Redstarts (adult male and a female/imm), bizarrely a calling Woodcock that flew over and disappeared towards the B576 and a 'reeling' Grasshopper Warbler.
Today was the last Common Bird Census at Pitsford Reservoir and the July visit is all about picking up on late breeders and plotting a surprising number of resident birds that sing at the start of the season and at the end but with little evidence inbetween (the modest Dunnock is the classic example).
I took a clockwise circuit around the reserve beginning at 5am and there were six Little Egrets visible from the causeway and some super misty conditions with the rising sun that I was unable to properly capture with my camera. At least four Crossbills were mobile in the trees in the Scaldwell Bay behind the New James Fisher hide and the two eclipse drake Red-crested Pochards were visible from it. Over two hundred Gadwall and four hundred Tufted Ducks were mingled with Pochard, Wigeon and other waterfowl and there were fifty Great Crested Grebes in the Scaldwell Bay alone.
Numerous family parties of Blackcaps suggested a good year for them and as it warmed up out came the butterflies and dragonflies. A Silver-washed Fritillary was a Pitsford tick for me but individuals have been seen by other observers during the last few years. Dragonflies included Ruddy Darter, Brown Hawker, Four Spotted Chaser, Blue Emperor, Southern Hawker and a freshly emerged Migrant Hawker (my first one of the year).
I didn't see much different in the bird camp apart from a Yellow-legged Gull and three Kingfishers until reaching the area around the Fishing Lodge where there was at least one Crossbill in the trees and a delightful family party of Spotted Flycatchers.
Elsewhere and an Osprey was seen fishing on the Elinor trout lake at Thrapston Pits this morning and Summer Leys hosted three Great White Egrets, two Green Sandpipers and a Common Sandpiper. Four Crossbills and several Siskins were at Bucknell Wood today courtesy of Andrew Cook and the butterflies included several Silver-washed Fritillaries including one of the 'valezina' form, a White Admiral, Purple Hairstreak and Wood White.
A ringing session at Stortons Pits this morning provided fifty-seven new birds and six re-traps which included fifteen Reed Warblers, eleven Blackcaps, five Whitethroats and a Cetti's Warbler. One of the Reed Warblers was bearing a Portuguese ring and was the same bird caught at Stortons on 6th July last year.
Regards
Neil M
Yesterday provided a couple of interesting 'out of season' records including a Merlin near to Hanging Houghton Sewer Works (Fiona Barclay) and several birds seen at Earls Barton whilst searching for the 'small heron' which included the Spoonbill again on Hardwater Lake, a Peregrine, a Hobby, two Water Rails and a 'reeling' Grasshopper Warbler. Birds at Harrington Airfield in the evening included two Common Redstarts (adult male and a female/imm), bizarrely a calling Woodcock that flew over and disappeared towards the B576 and a 'reeling' Grasshopper Warbler.
Today was the last Common Bird Census at Pitsford Reservoir and the July visit is all about picking up on late breeders and plotting a surprising number of resident birds that sing at the start of the season and at the end but with little evidence inbetween (the modest Dunnock is the classic example).
I took a clockwise circuit around the reserve beginning at 5am and there were six Little Egrets visible from the causeway and some super misty conditions with the rising sun that I was unable to properly capture with my camera. At least four Crossbills were mobile in the trees in the Scaldwell Bay behind the New James Fisher hide and the two eclipse drake Red-crested Pochards were visible from it. Over two hundred Gadwall and four hundred Tufted Ducks were mingled with Pochard, Wigeon and other waterfowl and there were fifty Great Crested Grebes in the Scaldwell Bay alone.
Numerous family parties of Blackcaps suggested a good year for them and as it warmed up out came the butterflies and dragonflies. A Silver-washed Fritillary was a Pitsford tick for me but individuals have been seen by other observers during the last few years. Dragonflies included Ruddy Darter, Brown Hawker, Four Spotted Chaser, Blue Emperor, Southern Hawker and a freshly emerged Migrant Hawker (my first one of the year).
I didn't see much different in the bird camp apart from a Yellow-legged Gull and three Kingfishers until reaching the area around the Fishing Lodge where there was at least one Crossbill in the trees and a delightful family party of Spotted Flycatchers.
Elsewhere and an Osprey was seen fishing on the Elinor trout lake at Thrapston Pits this morning and Summer Leys hosted three Great White Egrets, two Green Sandpipers and a Common Sandpiper. Four Crossbills and several Siskins were at Bucknell Wood today courtesy of Andrew Cook and the butterflies included several Silver-washed Fritillaries including one of the 'valezina' form, a White Admiral, Purple Hairstreak and Wood White.
A ringing session at Stortons Pits this morning provided fifty-seven new birds and six re-traps which included fifteen Reed Warblers, eleven Blackcaps, five Whitethroats and a Cetti's Warbler. One of the Reed Warblers was bearing a Portuguese ring and was the same bird caught at Stortons on 6th July last year.
Regards
Neil M
 |
| Just-emerged Migrant Hawker. |
 |
| Comma. |
 |
| Juvenile Cetti's Warbler courtesy of Chris Payne. |
 |
| The Reed Warbler bearing a Portuguese ring. Image courtesy of Chris Payne. |
 |
| Treecreeper courtesy of Chris Payne. |
No comments:
Post a Comment