Lots of Redstarts and warblers

Hello

With the warm but cooler conditions of late and relative low wind speeds and moderate cloud cover, two teams from the Northants Ringing Group were active today at two of our regular sites - Stortons Pits and Harrington Airfield.

Some significant management work is being undertaken at Stortons following the very successful Common Reed (Phragmites) growth plots - in fact it's been too successful as there is now a need to scallop and cut sections of the reedbed to ensure there are appropriate margins and areas of open water as required by specialist birds such as Bittern, Water Rail, waders etc.

The small ringing team of three enjoyed an excellent session there, processing a high total of eighty-one birds which included only three re-traps from previous sessions. As expected warblers dominated the catch particularly with twenty-nine Blackcaps, but also eight Garden Warblers, three Reed Warblers, five Sedge Warblers, three Cetti's Warblers, eight Whitethroats, a Lesser Whitethroat and eight Chiffchaffs. A Jay added some colour and bulk and other birds included a Song Thrush and a Treecreeper.

Over at Harrington Airfield, at least for some of the time a team of six, managed to process just over a hundred birds in this dry open country site with scrub. Again only three re-traps were encountered and the session was dominated by sixty-two new Linnets which were mostly freshly-fledged juveniles and part of a flock numbering some one hundred and fifty individuals. Small numbers of warbler included two Blackcaps, singles of Garden Warbler and Chiffchaff, seven Willow Warblers, seven Whitethroats and a Lesser Whitethroat. A moulting adult Common Redstart was a highlight and we heard another calling in the bushes. A Hobby was seen and a good hatch of Common Blue butterflies has occurred during the last couple of days with many fresh individuals plus a couple each of Small Copper and Small Heath.

Elsewhere and Pitsford Reservoir fielded two Common Redstarts opposite the Paul Britten bench in the field hedge, two Great White Egrets, three Yellow-legged Gulls, three Red-crested Pochard, three to four Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper, a Garganey and a flying flock of ten Black-tailed Godwits.

Birds at Stanford Reservoir today included a juvenile Mediterranean Gull, a Spotted Flycatcher, a Grasshopper Warbler that was caught and ringed, ten Ravens and a Kingfisher. Two hundred and seventy birds were processed by members of the Stanford Reservoir Ringing Group on-site today.

Birds elsewhere included a Common Redstart at Clifford Hill Pits, a Wheatear at Wollaston and a Marsh Harrier and about seven Black-tailed Godwits at Summer Leys LNR. A Wood Sandpiper was reported from the north side of quarry workings at Earls Barton Pits

Two Common Redstarts remain at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell and at least two more were at Lamport Hall together with at least ten Spotted Flycatchers. The two Common Redstarts remain at Woodford Halse, a Yellow-legged Gull was at Wicksteed Park Lake and waders at Hollowell Reservoir amounted to a Ringed Plover, four Little Ringed Plovers and a Green Sandpiper.

An escaped Steller's Sea-eagle must have made a fabulous sight at Hellidon this afternoon (reportedly lost from Warwick Castle) and an adult White-rumped Sandpiper has pitched up just outside the county at Eyebrook Reservoir.

Finally a Clouded Yellow butterfly and at least four Spotted Flycatchers were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this afternoon.

Regards

Neil M

Jay courtesy of
Chris Payne.

Lesser Whitethroat courtesy
of Chris Payne.

Common Redstart
Harrington Airfield.