More Bramblings...

Hello

A second day of ringing took place at Harrington Airfield today in amazing weather and resulted in ninety-eight captures of eighteen species which included plenty more Yellowhammers, lots of finches including five more Bramblings, a Tree Sparrow, two Fieldfares, three Redwings and a third calendar year male Sparrowhawk. Other birds on-site included a Raven, a calling Grey Partridge and about seventy Golden Plovers.

At Pitsford Reservoir birds on show included a flock of 310 Golden Plovers circling around plus an Oystercatcher and a Little Egret with a Siskin still in a Scaldwell garden.

Two Ravens were at Cottesbrooke village and there were singletons of Barn Owl at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell and in the valley below Hanging Houghton.

Four Cattle Egrets were at Stanwick Pits this morning and a pair of Peregrines were at St Mary's church, Higham Ferrers. At Quarry Walk, Earls Barton there was a small party of Redpolls feeding in alders and about ten Crossbills were at Hollowell Reservoir on the north side of Sailing Club Bay.

A pair of Smew were on an unspecified pit at Ditchford Pits but near to Rushden Lakes with a Chiffchaff at Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows. The juvenile Iceland Gull was again reported in sheep fields south of Rushton Landfill today.

Ian's feeding station at Woodford Halse attracted two male Bramblings today amongst a mixed flock of Chaffinches and Yellowhammers with a male Blackcap in Ian's garden. A female Blackcap was in a Hunsbury garden today and a male was seen not far away at Wootton.

Butterflies on the wing in the county today included Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell and Comma.

Regards

Neil M

First year female Brambling.

Adult male Bramblings...
surely one of the most stunning
of finches.

Third calendar year
male Sparrowhawk.