Weekend Summary

 It was a bit of a shock to wake up to quite dense fog this morning which scuppered my plans.  So I ended up walking an area that I haven't visited for a while and it proved to be very successful.  Firstly I could hear a group of Brambling calling from the treetops in a small copse. Then to my surprise a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker started calling and drumming from the same copse.  In the end I  managed some good views of a male.  I haven't seen Lesser Spot in this area before although as a bird flies it is not far from where I have seen them in the past.                                                                                                 Then to top off my walk I found a fresh Otter spraint and my young collie decided to roll in it and looked very pleased with herself wearing her new perfume!!

Once the fog lifted I popped down to Pitsford Reservoir and the long staying Great Northern Diver was in it's favourite area between the Pintail Bay and the narrows. Below the dam area are some new workings and on the heaps of soil were quite a few Meadow Pipits,  Pied Wagtails and a single Northern Wheatear.  Two Sand Martins flipped over the dam and carried on their way and reminded me that migration is happening.                The small side appeared rather quiet. The only birds of note being a pair of Oystercatcher.  However there were a group of young men illegally fishing at the back of the Scaldwell Bay . This does happen here from time to time usually due to cultural differences.  Once it was explained to them by David that they couldn't continue to fish they left the reserve. 

Harrington Airfield was extremely quiet and I struggled to find any birds. The best I could manage was 10 Brambling. 

Looking at the bird news from the weekend it seems to be quiet everywhere and the records are dominated by Jack Snipe and Garganey at Summer Leys.  There was a Black Redstart briefly in a garden at Long Bucky and this evening reports of a large raptor over Brixworth ?? White Tailed Eagle.

Kenny Cramer was busy ringing at Linford and battling with the wind and mist, neither of which were forecast.  18 birds ringed of 7 species and 11 new birds.   The most numerous bird processed was Reed Bunting with a retrap of a bird ringed elsewhere in the UK.  A single Chiffchaff was the only bird to represent arriving migrants and Redwings were still on the move with 3 birds trapped.  But star bird went to a Common Snipe.                                               

Regards Eleanor 

Common Snipe.

Water Rail.

Images courtesy of
Kenny Cramer.