Birds of Wednesday.

Hello

The bushes and hedgerow at Lamport Hall were eerily quiet this morning but I spent some time scanning and listening and eventually identified at least three different Common Redstarts which included a different individual from yesterday (a female). A Spotted Flycatcher sat out briefly and small flocks of Siskins flew through and the cattle attracted at least twelve Yellow Wagtails. Warblers seemed to include just singletons of Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff so back to Hanging Houghton where earlier I had seen an overflying and calling Tree Pipit flying south and about twenty-five Yellow Wagtails with the grazing cattle. A Grey Wagtail was in the general area.

Whilst back at home there were fleeting visits in the garden from further singletons of Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler and then a juvenile Common Buzzard alighted on the shed roof! He/she didn't stay long.

A visit to Market Harborough to see the Otters that have been showing well on the River Welland there drew a blank despite me patrolling the banks for nearly three hours. Three animals have been seen together very recently. My wildlife highlights were an adult male Peregrine circling over the town plus a couple of Nuthatches and a juvenile Grey Wagtail.

In the meantime Eleanor's daily jaunt in to the Brampton Valley provided a Peregrine (also an adult male) and four Whinchats and the nearby Blueberry Farm complex remained the place to see two Tree Pipits, three Common Redstarts, a Wheatear and four more Whinchats. Neil Underwood located two Common Redstarts at Harrington Airfield today, a Great White Egret was at Hollowell Reservoir and three Shags were congregated just off the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir late morning.

A Bittern was an excellent find on the scrape at Summer Leys LNR this morning plus a Snipe, a Common Sandpiper, two Dunlin and a Great White Egret. Not too far away and another Peregrine was perched on St Mary's church, Higham Ferrers.

This evening and Steve Fisher's diligent efforts at Stanwick Pits provided views of four Cattle Egrets, a Great White Egret, twenty-one Yellow-legged Gulls, two Little Ringed Plovers and a Common Sandpiper.

Regards

Neil M

Goldfinches courtesy of
John Tilly.

Juvenile Whinchat courtesy of
Robin Gossage.