Migrants and breeders

Hello

A pair of Spotted Flycatchers and a pair of mobile Hobbies have both been active around the village at Hanging Houghton today. It seems likely that the flycatchers have probably failed at their first breeding effort and are eyeing up another spot to have a second attempt. It could be that the same thing has happened to the Hobbies as they have been vocal and very much together on and off during the day. Yesterday evening it was possible to hear vocal Kestrel, Hobby, Little and Tawny Owl around the village.

It would seem that yesterday's Pectoral Sandpiper at Lilbourne was the wader first thought to be a Temminck's Stint - in any event the Pectoral Sandpiper was still in the Lilbourne reserve area early this afternoon before being lost in flight.

At Hollowell Reservoir today Adrian spotted the very long-staying female Ruddy Shelduck and an Osprey and discovered a huge colony of over a hundred Marbled White butterflies mostly at the east end of the dam and nearby copse.

A male Common Redstart and a Barn Owl were at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this morning and a family of Spotted Flycatchers were in Cottesbrooke village. At Harrington Airfield it was possible to see over a dozen Marbled White butterflies, a good mix of common butterflies including three species of skipper, Common Blue and Gatekeeper and birds included adult and juvenile Lesser Whitethroats and a pair of Grey Partridge. Mullein and Cinnabar Moth caterpillars were quite easy to locate.

Elsewhere and a 'valezina' form of Silver-washed Fritillary was seen at Southwick Wood and one lucky person had a Dark Green Fritillary visit them in their Barton Seagrave garden! Up to five Purple Emperors were at Salcey Forest accessible from the Horsebox car park and four more were seen in Bucknell Wood. The nectar strips and headlands at Lamport Hall is supporting large numbers of common butterflies including Painted Ladies, Red Admirals, Commas and Marbled Whites and a couple of foxes and Brown Hares were active there too.

An amazing total of thirteen Redshanks at Stanford Reservoir was significant evidence of post-breeding migration today and there was also a Green Sandpiper present plus three Little Egrets, a Cuckoo, a brood of Tufted Duck ducklings, two Hobbies and four Cetti's Warblers.

Regards

Neil M

Bee Orchid courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Mediterranean Gull courtesy
of Jim Dunkley.

Rooftop Sparrowhawk
courtesy of Jim Dunkley.