A Wryneck, a cicada and ringing highlights.

Hello

A ringing session at Linford Lakes, Milton Keynes on Saturday resulted in an excellent catch of ninety-seven birds of eighteen species, eighty-four of which were newly-ringed. As predicted warblers were in good numbers with fifteen Blackcaps, two Garden Warblers, fifteen Reed Warblers, nine Sedge Warblers, twelve Chiffchaffs and ten Willow Warblers. A Kingfisher was a previously-ringed bird and other singles included Song Thrush, Goldcrest, Starling and another Mute Swan! However the biggest surprise was the capture of five Common Terns!

Today (Tuesday) and a Wryneck was caught and ringed at Stanford Reservoir this morning, the fifth for the site and the third consecutive year when this species has been found in a mist net there.

At Pitsford Reservoir today there were five Great White Egrets north of the causeway and in the Scaldwell Bay there was a single Garganey, two Green Sandpipers, a Yellow-legged Gull, five Common Snipe and a Hobby with two Common Sandpipers just south of the causeway and Small Copper butterflies on the wing despite the blustery conditions. A Hummingbird Hawk-moth and a Comma were trying to find nectar on our wizened buddleia bush in the garden and for the second day running there was no sign of any Spotted Flycatchers or Common Redstarts at Lamport Hall. 

A male Stonechat at Wollaston Weir was presumably the same bird reported earlier in the month and at Thrapston Pits a Common Redstart was found in a hedge at the north end of Elinor Lake.

There were still two Common Redstarts hanging on at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this morning and birds in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton included a Wheatear, three Whinchats and singles of Redpoll and Siskin flying over.

Birds at Summer Leys amounted to a Wood Sandpiper on Round Island, three Greenshanks, a Black-tailed Godwit, two Ringed Plovers, a Common Sandpiper, two Swifts and a Kingfisher.

The Ferruginous Duck was again reported from Daventry Country Park this afternoon and the Pectoral Sandpiper was still at Eyebrook Reservoir as was a Spotted Redshank and a Garganey.

There was a remarkable find of a European Cicada near Ashton today, a large and noisy insect more associated with the Mediterranean region of Europe.

Regards

Neil M

Chicken of the Woods fungi
on Aspen at Scotland Wood,
Kelmarsh Estate.

Woodland scenes from
Scotland Wood today.

Common Terns courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.