Migrant Hawk-moths, Redstarts still and a Merlin.

Hello

Another warm if not hot day and we are still lacking rain!

Not much new reported today but at Pitsford Reservoir a juvenile Black Tern was still present around the Old Scaldwell Road with four Great White Egrets, three Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper and a Yellow-legged Gull in the Scaldwell Bay. We have changed the ingredients in the mixed seed bird food we put out for the birds at the Old Feeding Station and the Tree Sparrows and good numbers of Greenfinches seem to appreciate it!

Stanford Reservoir provided two Common Redstarts today (one caught and ringed), a early morning Marsh Harrier, singles of Grasshopper Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher which were both caught and ringed, two Wheatears, two Common Sandpipers, two Green Sandpipers, a Swift, a good gathering of sixteen Yellow Wagtails and a Cetti's Warbler. Two hundred and thirty-nine new birds were ringed there today.

At Hollowell Reservoir today there was a/the female Ruddy Shelduck, a Whinchat and a Common Sandpiper with Borough Hill Country Park still attracting one or two Whinchat(s) and a Wheatear.

An Osprey was at Thrapston Pits for fifteen minutes this afternoon and at Summer Leys LNR there was a Great White Egret, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Hobby and a Water Rail.

Three or four Common Redstarts remain at Harrington Airfield where there was also a Raven and a pair of Grey Partridges and nearby at Lamport Hall there were ten Spotted Flycatchers, a Common Redstart and a hunting male Merlin over nearby fields. Two Ravens were in Hanging Houghton village and a Barn Owl was hunting in the Brampton Valley below the village this evening.

Regards

Neil M

Convolvulus Hawk-moth
courtesy of Jim Dunkley. I like
the alien face on the back of the
second image of the Convolvulus!

Hummingbird Hawk-moth
courtesy of Jim Dunkley.

Jim's Sywell garden has been the place for
migrant Hawk-moths with the locally-rare
Convolvulus turning up in a trap yesterday
morning and up to three Hummingbird
Hawk-moths coming to the shrubs.