Northamptonshire Birding: Pitsford Day Tour

Hello

Today was a Naturetrek Day Tour on the reserve at Pitsford Reservoir which started with the contents of the moth trap of fifteen species with perhaps a couple of Ear Moths and an Elephant Hawk-moth being the highlights. A Painted Lady and a Red Admiral butterfly were on the buddleia next to the Fishing Lodge.

Despite the breezy conditions odonata were out in good numbers, particularly Southern and Brown Hawkers. We also saw Blue Emperor, Migrant Hawker, Four-spotted Chaser, Black-tailed Skimmer, Ruddy Darter, Beautiful Demoiselle, Emerald Damselfly, Large Red-eyed Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly and of course large numbers of Common Blue Damselflies. Other interesting insects included Hornet Hoverfly.

Great Crested Grebes are clearly having a good year with several broods of young on the reserve but the small birds were pretty quiet but Goldcrests, Treecreeper and Marsh Tit showed themselves. A Hobby was seen a few times, there were a few Little Egrets but a Wigeon was the only duck out of the ordinary.

Peacock butterflies showed nicely, we saw several Commas and the usual species we expect at this time of the year and we tracked down just one well-behaved Purple Hairstreak.

Elsewhere and the Common Redstarts are still arriving in the county with a male seen near Old, three at Blueberry Farm (including two new males) and three or four at Harrington Airfield which again included a new adult male on-site.

At least two Spotted Flycatchers were also at Blueberry Farm and a juvenile Marsh Harrier was seen flying from Harrington Airfield off towards Pitsford Reservoir.

At Earls Barton Pits a Wood Sandpiper and two Common Sandpipers were on the Summer Leys LNR with a Common Sandpiper and a Great White Egret on Hardwater Lake.

Waders at Deene Lake this afternoon included eight Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper and one hundred and sixty-seven Lapwings. A near-adult Caspian Gull was at Stanwick Pits this evening.

Regards

Neil M