Birds of valley, gravel pit and reservoir.

Hello

Rather pleasant weather and temperatures out there today but rather limited reported sightings.

At Stanford Reservoir a flock of seventeen Black-tailed Godwits flew through this morning and other birds noted included a Whinchat, a Spotted Flycatcher, a Peregrine, a Hobby, two Green Sandpipers, two Common Sandpipers, four Snipe, a Swift and a Kingfisher.

At Pitsford Reservoir the birds in the Scaldwell Bay amounted to a Garganey, four Great White Egrets and the male Common Redstart in the field hedge in line with the Paul Britten bench. At Harrington Airfield Paul detected two Common Redstarts in the scrubby areas between the Chippings Compound and Bunker Three. Just five Spotted Flycatchers were on show at Lamport Hall early this afternoon with a Hobby earlier.

A Tree Pipit, a Barn Owl and two Whinchats were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning (the Whinchats still present this evening) with a Raven in the village and birds at Fleetland Farm between Harlestone and Duston also included a Tree Pipit flying over and a Little Owl.

Between six and eight Common Sandpipers were on the Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston Pits today and at Earls Barton Pits there was a Wood Sandpiper on the new workings north of the river and four Black-tailed Godwits, six Common Snipe and a Great White Egret were at Summer Leys LNR.

At Stanwick Pits early this morning the Black Tern was still present plus a Cattle Egret, two Great White Egrets, seven Common Sandpipers and good numbers of Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers.

Regards

Neil M

Common Redstart.

Speckled Wood butterfly.

Brown Hawker dragonfly.

Corizus hyoscanyami
courtesy of Robin Gossage