Summer bird ringing

Hello

Today's weather was perfect for mist-netting and John Woollett and John Boland spent some time at Stortons Pits this morning and processed fifty-five birds from just four nets, with juvenile warblers making up much of the catch. Highlights included a Willow Warbler, two Chiffchaffs, nine Reed Warblers, seven Sedge Warblers, twelve Blackcaps, three Garden Warblers, a Lesser Whitethroat and six Common Whitethroats.

At Brixworth Water Treatment Works a slightly bigger team encountered ninety-three birds of twenty species - the captures also included warblers in the shape of a Willow Warbler, three Chiffchaffs, a Sedge Warbler, seven Common Whitethroats and ten Blackcaps. Three Great Spotted Woodpeckers added some noise and colour with twelve Starlings adding further charisma. We enjoyed processing twenty-one Swallows which included flying first brood birds, a single House Martin, two Pied Wagtails and five Grey Wagtails.

Interesting birds on-site included a Hobby, a Raven and a juvenile Cuckoo.

Birds on show at Thrapston Pits today included an Osprey watching over Elinor (trout fishing) lake.

A calling Spotted Flycatcher at Hanging Houghton suggests there are a clandestine pair in the village and this evening both Barn Owl and Little Owl were on show in the Brampton Valley below the village.

This morning an assortment of gulls off the A5 near to DIRFT3 and Lilbourne included at least four Caspian Gulls (a third summer and at least three first summers) and at least a dozen Yellow-legged Gulls.

Regards

Neil M

Juvenile Cuckoo.

Many of the Red Kites
are looking tatty now
as they undergo their
summer moult.

Garden Warbler.

Raven.