Spring came and went!

Hello

Well it is good to be back after over a month away but it seems I have missed spring in the county! I have been assisting on Naturetrek tours on the fabulous island of Mull, followed by eight days centred in Speyside and then eighteen days completing two different tours in Iceland. The washing machine has been busy since my return as I take stock of being away for so long.

I am very grateful to those volunteers who have continued to service the wild bird feeding station initiatives in my absence at Pitsford Reservoir, Brixworth, on the Kelmarsh estate and at Harrington Airfield.

I was fortunate to work with four other leaders in Mull running a festival event based in Tobermory where we ventured out to explore Iona, Mull, Staffa and the Treshnish Isles which resulted in sightings of both species of eagles, Otter, lots of Hen Harriers, sea-birds, Harbour Porpoise, Irish Hare, seals, deer, Glaucous Gull and Corncrake.

The second festival was a smaller affair and I was working with Matt Eade based at Nethybridge, Speyside. We ventured to the north Aberdeenshire coast and encountered Bottle-nosed Dolphin and Orca as well as good numbers of breeding sea-birds. Inland we scanned over an entertaining Black Grouse lek, watched Mountain and Brown Hares, Badgers and Ospreys. We found Woodcock, Common Crossbill, Goshawks, Pied Flycatchers, Common Redstarts and of course Crested Tits. A mountain foray yielded close views of endearing Ptarmigan and tame Dotterel. Breeding plumage Slavonian Grebes, Red-throated and Black-throated Divers provided more wow factor and we found both species of eagle here too.

The following day saw me flying to Iceland where I helped Dave Jackson to deliver two tours - Undiscovered Iceland and Iceland in Spring. The first tour took me to places previously unvisited and the landscape was the wow factor here with black sand beaches, glaciers, waterfalls, geotherm activity, an iceberg lagoon and brooding volcanoes. The best mammals were Humpback Whale, Blue Whale, Reindeer and Arctic Fox and the birds in their summer attire included approachable Slavonian Grebes, Great Northern and Red-throated Divers, Red-necked Phalaropes, Long-tailed Ducks, Barrow's Goldeneye and Harlequin Ducks.

The second tour started with three glorious days of sunshine and the colours on the birds came in to their own. Our cetacean list included Humpback Whale, Orca, Minke Whale and White-beaked Dolphin and additional birds species included a Grey Phalarope in breeding plumage, White-tailed Eagle, Merlin, Tundra Bean Goose and another three Arctic Foxes including a lingering animal at a sea-bird cliff.

In the meantime it seems that Northamptonshire has enjoyed another migrant-busy spring with some fantastic sightings and finds.

Today the lingering White Stork was again at the Barnwell Lock floods near Oundle (plus a Green Sandpiper) and birds at Summer Leys LNR included Little Ringed Plovers and another Green Sandpiper. An Osprey was fishing at Hollowell Reservoir this evening, a Spotted Flycatcher was at Hanging Houghton and two pairs of Grey Partridge remain at Harrington Airfield.

Regards

Neil M

Juvenile male
Blackbird.

Goldfinch.

Pied Wagtail.
All images courtesy of
John Tilly.