A cold Wednesday!

Hello

Patchwork birder Eric was very pleased to find two Avocets at Thrapston Pits on the Titchmarsh Reserve this morning, other birds there being a very early Garden Warbler, three Great White Egrets, three Oystercatchers and plenty of hirundines.

The Glossy Ibis was seen on the Main Lake at Stanwick Pits this morning and an adult Kittiwake flew north-east from the Layby Pit at about 8.20am.

The pair of Garganey were still at Summer Leys LNR today and three Mediterranean Gulls were seen there too.

Ian found a male Common Redstart at the traditional autumn stop-over site along the track past Fawsley Granary at Fawsley Park and John found a Common Sandpiper on one of the new workings sites at Earls Barton Pits.

About twenty Bramblings were feeding on seed at Harrington Airfield this morning and other birds included three Grey Partridges and about a hundred Golden Plovers. There is likely to be some ringing at this site on Saturday when access will be restricted but this doesn't affect the concrete track and other footpaths.

Despite the temperatures I found Scarlet Tiger caterpillars feeding on our garden Green Alkanet so hopefully we will see the stunning adults later in the year! We are fortunate to have at least three Hedgehogs coming to the garden most nights now (they love dried mealworms).

Regards

Neil M

Colour-ringed Black-headed
Gull 2BAA courtesy of Dave Jackson.

 This gull was ringed as a nestling at Rutland
 Water on 20th June 2019 and seen again on 9th
July 2019. This bird has been seen and reported
at Pitsford Reservoir five times between 13th
December 2020 and 17th March 2021.