Wednesday 24 February 2021

Scarce birds and butterflies

Hello

Some of the scarce birds reported this month in the county are still around today - the Glossy Ibis was quite mobile on the Titchmarsh Reserve, the drake Ring-necked Duck was again on Big Lake at Ditchford Pits and the Iceland Gull was in the vicinity of Rushton Landfill this afternoon.

Birds in and around Hanging Houghton included the singing Blackcap visiting gardens in the village, with the valley below the village and up towards Blueberry Farm yielding the female Merlin again, two Barn Owls, two pairs of Stonechats, 595 Fieldfares and 55 Yellowhammers.

Pitsford Reservoir remains essentially quiet with the Yellow-legged Gull, a Great White Egret, a Redpoll and twenty-three Golden Plovers flying north being the best seen.

Thrapston Pits was the meeting point for nine Great White Egrets and other birds included the elusive 'redhead' Smew again.

A single Brambling was seen at Harrington Airfield this afternoon and this site will be the venue of some ringing on Friday and Saturday when the bunkers and old airstrip bushes will have restricted access.

At Kettering Parish church there were two Peregrines present today and the morning sunshine provided butterfly sightings in the county of Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Brimstone and Comma.

Regards

Neil M


Brimstone butterfly.

Small Tortoiseshell on Coltsfoot.

Comma.

Great White Egrets courtesy
of Robin Gossage.


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