Long stayers and new birds in

Hello 

Some extra birds for yesterday (Wednesday) included the now long-staying Ferruginous Duck at Daventry Country Park and in the evening Hollowell Reservoir was good for a Black-tailed Godwit, two Ringed Plovers and a Dunlin. At about 7pm a juvenile Marsh Harrier was in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton before flying towards the village and two Whinchats were in an oat crop in the valley.

With only a moderate amount of rain it is quite amazing to see how vegetation, particularly grass, has responded after such a prolonged period of heat and no precipitation, with some grass verges looking quite green again. During the initial drizzle and light rain two evenings ago, Hummingbird Hawk-moths became particularly active and were reported in several places in the county busy nectaring.

Today (Thursday) and the Ferruginous Duck was still at Daventry Country Park, this time in the north-east bay and showing well and an excellent find was a Pied Flycatcher at Hollowell Reservoir at the inlet end off the Guilsborough Road sharing the hedgerow and trees with a Spotted Flycatcher. Other birds noted there this morning were two Dunlin, two Common Snipe, a Common Sandpiper, two Little Ringed Plovers and Meadow Pipit.

In the Nene Valley there was a Black Tern at Stanwick Pits plus a Cattle Egret, two Great White Egrets, a Ruff and two Common Sandpipers and Mary's Lake at Earls Barton hosted a juvenile Wood Sandpiper with adjacent Summer Leys LNR attracting four Black-tailed Godwits, a Ruff and a Great White Egret. Two Ringed Plovers, a Great White Egret and two Water Rails were at the Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve.

Birds of interest on the reserve at Pitsford Reservoir this morning were four Great White Egrets, two Red-crested Pochard, eight Common Snipe, two Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper and the male Common Redstart in the field hedge parallel to the Scaldwell Bay boundary fence opposite the Paul Britten seat.

Two Common Redstarts were still at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this morning with three Whinchats nearby and a Marsh Harrier, a Wheatear. two Whinchats and a couple of Clouded Yellow butterflies in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

At least four vocal Common Redstarts were at Harrington Airfield today with two in bushes near Bunker Two and two more between Bunker One and the Chippings Compound. A Common Redstart was caught and ringed there this morning but it is not known if it was one of these birds or a fifth bird. Six different Common Redstarts have been ringed at Harrington Airfield this month. A pair of Hobby made a couple of sorties over the old disused airfield today, catching prey and excitedly passing the prey between them. A large flock of Linnets seems to be attracting much of their attention.

Regards

Neil M

Some things had to wait a 
long time before being able
to move in the heatwaves - this
brightly coloured Common Toad
was active in the rain.


Courtesy of Jim Dunkley.

Rhagium mordax Longhorn Beetle
courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Phasia hemiptera courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

The first year male Common
Redstart caught and ringed at
Harrington Airfield today.