Almost Deja vu

Another busy weekend of agility competitions with Jaeger and Rouzel and more success. Maybe they are finally getting the hang of things!!. This meant that my birding was limited.  When we returned late yesterday afternoon I took them for a walk at Blueberry so that we could all relax.  It was very pleasant in the Autumn sunshine.  Rather bizarrely I was standing in the same place scanning the same fields as I was a week ago when a Hen Harrier came into view.  Yesterday it was a Marsh Harrier which came into view and dallied across the fields towards Lamport.  What a strange coincidence and certainly gave me the feeling of " deja vu".

This morning I headed to Harrington Airfield.  Initially I thought that it was going to be alive with birds as there was a steady movement of hirundines and Meadow Pipits plus 2 Grey Wagtails.  However it was extremely quiet and all I could find were 2 Common Redstarts and a single Golden Plover.  I checked the hedgerow at Lamport Hall but very quiet too. I haven't seen any birds of note here for a couple of weeks. Blueberry this afternoon was also very quiet with just a single Common Redstart and 2 Spotted Flycatchers. 

It doesn't seem to have gone rather quiet in the county at the moment.  Usual Autumn waders of Greenshank,  Ringed Plovers,  Black Tailed Godwits,  Ruff,  Common and Green Sandpipers can be found in the Nene Valley and reservoirs.  Autumn passerines Whinchats,  Wheatear and Common Redstarts are dotted about throughout the county. Birds of the day were a group of 16 Cattle Egrets flying west at Summer Leys,  an amazing record and sight for the lucky observer. 

The ringers have been busy at the weekend. On Saturday Kenny Cramer and his team were ringing at their regular site at Linford near Milton Keynes... 67 birds caught of 16 species.  Birds ringed included 17 Reed Warblers,  10 Chiffchaffs,  4 Blackcaps,  2 Willow Warblers,  2 Swallows and 9 Meadow Pipits.  The award of star bird went to a young Black headed Gull which was only the third to be ringed at this site.                                       

Dave Francis had an interesting ringing session yesterday on the lower part of the feeding station at Pitsford Reservoir.  95 birds of 18 species including 33 Blackcaps, 10 Reed Warblers,  9 Chiffchaffs,  1 Lesser Whitethroat,  1 Garden Warbler,  1 Sedge Warbler and 3 Tree Sparrow. 

Hopefully the Autumn migration will pick up and hopefully we will get our internet issues sorted this week,  fingers crossed. 

Regards Eleanor 

Meadow Pipit courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

Misumena vatia female
courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Misumena vatia male
courtesy of Robin Gossage.