Ring Ouzels, Redstarts and more

Hello

Harrington Airfield was the initial venue this morning which paid off with the birds from yesterday still being present in the shape of a Ring Ouzel, two male Common Redstarts, two Wheatears, sixty Golden Plovers, at least a dozen wheezing Bramblings and a pair of Grey Partridges. Just down the road at Draughton Crossing, another male Ring Ouzel showed in the pony field by the car park together with other thrushes.

Blueberry Farm near Maidwell still hung on to about a hundred Fieldfares and at least one and probably two Common Redstarts were in hedging near to the empty house. A predated female Sparrowhawk was found dead near the obelisk at Naseby today. 

Our garden continues to attract plenty of Reed Buntings and several Yellowhammers and the local Swallows are back too!

Yesterday there were three drake Mandarin Ducks at Ravensthorpe Reservoir but it is likely these are free-flying birds from nearby Coton Gardens.

Richard found the pair of Garganey in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir this morning and the Osprey put in an appearance too. This afternoon and a meander south of the causeway provided a party of eight Yellow Wagtails and a cracking male Wheatear in a field between the reservoir and the Brixworth to Holcot road. Scanning further south and some interesting looking birds in the Pintail Bay required a quick walk that way to confirm the presence of a first year Great Northern Diver and a pair of Common Scoter. A Yellow-legged Gull was there too and the drake Scaup was viewed distantly in the Moulton Grange Bay.

Elsewhere and Earls Barton Pits provided a pair of Garganey on the Summer Leys scrape and viewable from the Paul Britten hide plus seventeen Snipe, two Mediterranean Gulls and a Great White Egret but apparently there was no sign of the Ring Ouzel there today.

Southwick Wood was the venue for a calling Cuckoo this morning and a Nightingale trapped there today is a returning male first ringed in the spring of 2019.

The Glossy Ibis was seen in flight over Stanwick Pits again this morning and the Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve provided for three Redshanks, two Little Ringed Plovers and a Common Tern.

An Osprey was seen in flight over Sixfields, Northampton at lunchtime and a ringing session at nearby Stortons Pits provided thirty-three captures with perhaps the most interesting birds being a Sedge Warbler first encountered in May 2019, two Willow Warblers, two Chiffchaffs, two Whitethroats, three Blackcaps, three Cetti's Warblers and a host of resident birds.

Birds at Hollowell Reservoir this afternoon included a White Wagtail, a couple of Yellow Wagtails and a Common Sandpiper.

Regards

Neil M

Adult Grey Heron
courtesy of John Tilly.

Tree Sparrow courtesy
of Lewis Aaron.

Reed Bunting courtesy
of Lewis Aaron.

Yellowhammer courtesy
of Lewis Aaron.

 These images come from a modest
ringing session at Pitsford Reservoir
 yesterday concentrating on the reserve
 priority species of Tree Sparrow and
 Yellowhammer.

Sedge Warbler at Stortons Pits
today courtesy of Chris Payne.
This bird was first ringed in May
2019 and not encountered last year.

Juvenile Woodpigeon - this species
 breeds virtually all year round and this
 individual will have been hatched and
reared during some very cold weather.
Image courtesy of Lynne Barnett.