Harrington Airfield ringing

Hello

The anticipated heat has arrived and it was actually warm at Harrington Airfield at 4am this morning! The planned ringing session went ahead there but with an early finish and plans to reconvene there tomorrow.

We encountered 17 species and processed a total of ninety-six birds, only nine of which were ringed birds from previous visits. Not surprisingly many of the birds were youngsters hatched this year. Highlights were probably a re-trapped male Sparrowhawk that is a two year old bird first ringed in February this year and an adult female Common Redstart in full moult and virtually minus all it's tail and most of the flight feathers - I think she will be on-site for quite a while! Other birds included sixteen Common Whitethroats, two Lesser Whitethroats, a sprinkling of Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs plus a few Blackcaps, Swallows and juvenile Linnets and Yellowhammers.

A juvenile female Peregrine flew very low over the old airfield moving west early this morning and Marbled White butterflies were out in good numbers.

A ringing session at Stortons Pits yesterday caught the usual suspects, probably the highlight being a Common Whitethroat first ringed in June 2020.

Birding at Earls Barton Pits this morning provided a Wood Sandpiper which subsequently flew high and may have left, a Greenshank, a Green Sandpiper, a Dunlin and a reeling Grasshopper Warbler. Three Marbled Whites were at Earls Barton New Workings alongside the A45 50m east of the Ecton SF eastern boundary. Salcey Forest hosted a Purple Emperor today plus a 'valezina' form of Slver-washed Fritillary.

A sub-adult Caspian Gull and two Yellow-legged Gulls were showing off the A5 on the pools between DIRFT3 and Lilbourne late this morning and waders there included a Greenshank, a Dunlin and a Common Sandpiper.

Regards

Neil M

Swallow courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Woodpigeon courtesy of
John Tilly.

Storm Petrels on Skokholm
courtesy of Chris Payne.

Skokholm sunset
courtesy of Chris Payne.