Greenshanks, a Scaup and a senior Tawny Owl

Hello  

At Stanford Reservoir today two more Grasshopper Warblers were ringed and a Reed Warbler was caught and found to be bearing a Dutch ring. Other birds noted there today included a Greenshank briefly, two Green Sandpipers, two Common Sandpipers, an Oystercatcher, a Hobby and twenty Yellow Wagtails.

At Pitsford Reservoir a ringing session in Christies Copse resulted in over sixty birds finding the nets with much of the catch being previously-ringed Great and Blue Tits - some being this year juveniles from the nestbox scheme on-site and some adults known to be several years old. Eleven Chiffchaffs, a single Willow Warbler and a couple of Blackcaps were also processed but the star bird was an adult Tawny Owl first ringed as an adult on 5th June 2010 and recorded again in August of the same year, in April 2015 and in October last year. This bird is thought to be the local adult male that utilises Christies Copse as part of it's territory and it's likely that the young bird we caught there last week is it's offspring.

Other birds noted at Pitsford Reservoir today included three Black Terns this evening that vacated to the South-West at about 8.05pm, a Garganey, at least one Great White Egret, a Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper, at least two Yellow-legged Gulls, a couple of Ravens and a Kingfisher. Over at Hollowell Reservoir a flock of thirteen Black-tailed Godwits must have looked impressive this afternoon.

In the Nene Valley a fly-through Greenshank at Thrapston Pits further supports that this species was on the move today and other birds there included a Common Sandpiper and a Pink-footed Goose. A Cattle Egret was at Summer Leys LNR this afternoon and a female-type Scaup was a good find on the Deep Water Lake at Clifford Hill Pits where there was also a Goldeneye and a Whimbrel seen flying over.

Three Common Redstarts were at Harrington Airfield, two more were at Blueberry Farm and a single remained at Lamport Hall where only two Spotted Flycatchers could be found. A single Whinchat was seen by one of the nectar strips in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and a Hobby was at Quarry Lane, Hartwell.

A Pectoral Sandpiper at Eyebrook Reservoir just across the border was showing well at the inlet-end today.

Regards

Neil M

This Tawny Owl is in
excess of twelve years old.

Greenshank courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Kestrel courtesy of
Robin Gossage.