Butterflies, raptors and drop-in migrants

Hello

Very warm conditions today brought out plenty of butterflies and soaring raptors!

In such excellent conditions passerines would have been migrating in good numbers, but probably not staying long where they do touch down en-route to somewhere else.

At Hanging Houghton Fieldfares were on the move just after dawn but then seemed to disappear and probably moved off high to the north with a following breeze. Early birds at Pitsford Reservoir this morning included the drake Scaup just off the dam, a Wheatear was on the dam and an Osprey was intent on fishing. At the other end of the reservoir there was a Crossbill and a Redpoll at Christies Copse in the Walgrave Bay.

Birds at Harrington Airfield this morning included a grey Black Redstart at Bunker Two feeding with two Wheatears, a flushed Jack Snipe, two Snipe, twenty-five Golden Plovers, a singing Willow Warbler, two Swallows, a Grey Partridge and at least ten Bramblings. A Blackcap was singing at Kelmarsh Hall.

Bramblings and Siskins were still at Wakerley Wood car park today and down at Bucknell Wood there were lots of butterflies of four species, a singing Blackcap, a Redpoll and a couple of singing Siskins.

Steve's early morning jaunt at Stanwick Pits provided a sighting of the drake Ring-necked Duck on Main Lake, Alan and Nick saw the Glossy Ibis on the Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston Pits and two Avocets were on the scrape at Summer Leys LNR.

At Hollowell Reservoir a Water Pipit dropped in at 11.50am but unfortunately flew off south some ten minutes later and other birds included two Snipe, a Jack Snipe and a Great White Egret. Ian clocked up a Willow Warbler, a Blackcap and a Dunlin at Clifford Hill Pits and John found two Wheatears at Polebrook Airfield today and a Cattle Egret was reported flying over Islip. March Sedge Warblers were located at Stanwick and Earls Barton Pits today.

A Hobby north over Hollowell village just after 6pm this evening is an excellent early local record.

Regards

Neil M

Male Brambling at
Wakerley Wood courtesy
of Nathan Jones.

Female Siskin at
Wakerley Wood
courtesy of Nathan
Jones.