Round Up

 After the excitement of the Red Backed Shrike on Monday the rest of my week has been fairly quiet. I have made several visits to Harrington Airfield.  On Tuesday (4th) there were 4 Bramblings and 2 Fieldfares flying around and a male Merlin hunting the Skylarks and causing absolute panic which was quite spectacular to watch.     Yesterday as I neared bunker 3 I could hear the distinctive harsh chack call of a Ring Ouzel. As I approached with its namesake Rouzel my collie it flew up out of a bush with 10 Redwings.  Other birds of note were 4 Stonechat,  2 Bramblings,  4 Grey Partridge and several Ravens.                                                                                                                                        I  usually check the valley area below Hanging Houghton especially the hedgerow known as "shrike hedge". There has been a rather obliging group of 8 Stonechat and a Whinchat in this area. I  last saw them on Wednesday when they were sheltering in a ditch out of the wind. I  checked the area today but didn't see any of the chats, instead to my dismay I found that the hedge had been severely cut !! I  suspect that the chats will  now move on if they haven't already done so.                                                                                                            I visited Sywell CP  yesterday.  It was quiet,  just 6 Stonechat,  Cettis Warbler and a few Siskins.  I did notice that there was a good muddy margin all the way round the reservoir but I couldn't find any waders.                                                                                                            Pitsford Reservoir looks excellent and is full of birds. A quick visit today produced a single Dunlin, 3 Green Sandpiper, 8 Great White Egrets and good numbers of Pintail north of the causeway and a Little Gull south of the causeway.  Other folk have seen Ruff, Stonechats and Common Sandpipers too.  It is certainly worth a few hours visit rather than a snatched visit like mine.                                                                                                           Whilst I have been out and about I have been aware of a slow steady trickle of Redwings and Fieldfares arriving and House Martins and Swallows departing as the wonderful seasonal cycle of migration continues. 

There have been a few interesting birds dotted around the county during the week.  Black Tailed Godwit and Marsh Harrier at  Summer Leys.  Cattle Egrets at Stanwick GP. Northern Wheatear and Caspian Gull at Stanford Reservoir.  Caspian Gull, 2 Great White Egrets,  3 Green Sandpiper and 4 Pintail at Daventry Reservoir.                                                 Boddington Reservoir has been the place to be with a Firecrest yesterday and a Mediterranean Gull today. 

Despite the time of year there are still quite a few butterflies around.  Over the past few days I have seen Red Admirals, Comma, Small Tortoiseshell, Large White and Small Copper.   Clouded Yellow  butterflies are still frequenting thenectar strip below Hanging Houghton. However an amazing 49+ Clouded Yellows were seen at Lower Benefield over some clover fields just south of the village.  What an amazing sight this must have been. 

Have a good weekend. 

Regards Eleanor