Migration momentum

Hello

Yesterday evening (Tuesday) saw two Hobbies hawking insects over a small weedy field on the outskirts of Hanging Houghton - possibly taking chafers. In the same field there were a pair of Kestrels and at least one very vocal Little Owl.

Also yesterday evening a Green Sandpiper and a Common Sandpiper and a Great White Egret were seen on the Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston but there was no sign of the previous day's Cattle Egrets. Another Great White Egret was on the Summer Leys LNR plus three Redshanks, a Ruff, a Dunlin and two Little Ringed Plovers.

Today (Wednesday) and there was a ringing session at Woodford Halse which yielded some seventy-seven captures of common birds made up of fourteen species with Blue and Great Tits dominating. Other birds processed included a Goldcrest, a Treecreeper, a Nuthatch, a Blackcap and a Great Spotted Woodpecker. Birds noted on-site included a Hobby chasing a Swift, a Kingfisher and a Grey Wagtail. Migrant and Brown Hawkers were whizzing around as the temperatures increased during the morning.

A subsequent walk this afternoon around Borough Hill Country Park, Daventry didn't provide many migrants with the best birds being four Spotted Flycatchers, a Lesser Whitethroat and breeding Meadow Pipits. Butterflies included Painted Lady and Common Blue and Blue Emperor dragonflies were on the prowl.

Two Ospreys were seen at Hollowell Reservoir today and a Ruddy Shelduck was at Ravensthorpe Reservoir with two Great White Egrets still in the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Reservoir.

Stanford Reservoir still boasted it's Garganey today plus a juvenile Marsh Harrier, a Common Sandpiper, two Kingfishers, a Hobby, two Cetti's Warblers and three Ravens.

Three Common Redstarts were at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell early this morning and two more were viewable in hedging from the footpath leading from Bridle Road, Old past Cherry Hill and between Walgrave village and Pitsford Reservoir (plus a fly-by Clouded Yellow).

This afternoon there was a juvenile Marsh Harrier near Lamport heading over cereal fields towards the village of Scaldwell.

A Silver-washed Fritillary made it to Finedon Pocket Park today and a Purple Hairstreak was found on oaks at Upton Country Park west of the mill.

Regards

Neil M

The very big, bold and beautiful
Privet Hawk-moth courtesy of
Michelle Spinks.

Borough Hill Country Park
at Daventry is the best place 
I know locally for stunning
clumps of Harebells.

Common Blue butterfly at
Borough Hill Country Park.

Comma butterfly at
Pitsford Reservoir.