Reservoir birding

Hello

Yesterday evening and there were two male Common Redstarts at Harrington Airfield in bushes between the chippings compound and Bunker One. Northamptonshire increasingly serves as a stopping off area for passage Redstarts at this time of the year and it is likely that most of the birds that turn up in the summer remain in situ whilst there is plenty of food and cover and complete their post-breeding moult in scrub/hedgerow habitat before pushing on.

On the reserve at Pitsford Reservoir yesterday evening there was a Garganey (with a bit of a limp) on the bund in front of the James Fisher hide plus eight Little Egrets, two Great White Egrets and then two drake Red-crested Pochards in the Walgrave Bay. Four Green Sandpipers were seen at Lilbourne Meadows reserve.

This morning and a ringing session at Pitsford Reservoir was fairly unremarkable, the highlights being a re-trapped Blackbird that is now nine years old and a Blue Tit that is at least six years old The last four Black-headed Gull chicks were ringed on the rafts in the Scaldwell Bay where at least one pair of Common Terns are now nesting now there is room! The total number of gull chicks ringed there during the breeding season this year was 140, but there were plenty of others that were not ringed - a successful year for them. There were three broods of Tufted Duck there today and other birds noted included two Great White Egrets, twelve Little Egrets, an adult Yellow-legged Gull, two Kingfishers and the two drake Red-crested Pochards again in the Walgrave Bay.

At Hollowell Reservoir this morning an Osprey flew over fields north of Guilsborough and the Dunlin was still present. Stanford Reservoir continues to host a Garganey today plus ten Little Egrets, two Common Sandpipers, a Hobby and six Ravens.

Regards

Neil M

Elephant Hawk-moth courtesy
of Jim Dunkley.

Round-leafed Fluellen.

A leveret at Harrington Airfield - now 
which way should I go?

Rosechafer courtesy
of John Tilly.