Redstarts, Black Terns and lots of warblers

Hello

A busy ringing session at Linford Lakes, Milton Keynes on Saturday for Kenny and his small team saw large numbers of warblers hitting the nets as well as some diverse birds too. A Mute Swan decided it wanted some of the action and although successfully ringed it demolished a mist net! A hundred and forty birds of twenty-one species were encountered with nearly all of them being new birds. The Blackcap was the most common with thirty-seven birds followed by twenty-seven Chiffchaffs, seventeen Willow Warblers, nine Reed Warblers, five Garden Warblers, three Common Whitethroats, two Lesser Whitethroats and just a single Sedge Warbler.

Away from the warblers there were singles of Swallow and Kingfisher, two Goldfinches and a Goldcrest and the star bird for many was a first year male Common Redstart.

At Stanford Reservoir today (Monday) there were four Grasshopper Warblers on-site (three caught and ringed), a Common Redstart, three Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper, two Spotted Flycatchers, two Hobbies and ten Ravens.

At Stanwick Pits the juvenile Black Tern was still there this morning and this evening and one of the Black Terns was still at Pitsford Reservoir commuting between the causeway and the Old Scaldwell Road. At Thrapston Pits Elinor Lake attracted an Osprey this afternoon and this morning there were still at least four Common Redstarts and a Wheatear at Harrington Airfield. Nearby there were four Spotted Flycatchers and a Common Redstart at Lamport Hall late morning with still two Whinchats in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

This afternoon a Hobby was watched zooming in on a begging juvenile Linnet which was quickly dispatched near Brixworth where there was also a Grey Wagtail and a Water Rail.

Regards

Neil M

Osprey courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

I really like this image
of a Mandarin Duck plucking
a Blackberry from brambles
at Sixfields Lake courtesy
of Liam Howley.

Common Redstart courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.