Kentish Plover, Ring Ouzels and Redstarts

Hello

A quieter day today in the county but the Kentish Plover remained at Summer Leys LNR and still attracted plenty of attention. Other birds seen included a Great White Egret, two Little Ringed Plovers and a Dunlin.

At Pitsford Reservoir today a male Common Redstart and later a female was in field hedging parallel to the Scaldwell Bay perimeter fence between Maytrees and Bird Club hides (a traditional stop-over site) and on the dam there were at least three Yellow Wagtails with a Wheatear on the grass below the dam.

A Ring Ouzel was seen again at Honey Hill, Cold Ashby, showing at lunchtime on a slope to the left along the Jurassic Way footpath from the Cold Ashby road. At Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this afternoon a male Ring Ouzel dropped in just ahead of a vigorous hail storm which also caused two or three Yellow Wagtails and about seventy Fieldfares to similarly descend and take cover - fantastic visible migration! A male Common Redstart was also seen there briefly just before this.

An Osprey was seen in flight over Thornby village at just after 9am and a White Wagtail was noted on the dam at Ravensthorpe Reservoir. Yesterday saw a Reed Warbler at Thrapston Pits and today others were noted near Barton Seagrave and at Stanwick Pits. A Common Sandpiper and an Oystercatcher were on the Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve.

A Barn Owl, a pair of Grey Partridge and three or four on-territory singing Willow Warblers were at Harrington Airfield this morning. Two Grey Wagtails and two Yellow Wagtails and a Fieldfare were along the Brampton Valley near Draughton. A Barn Owl was at Lamport Hall this evening.

Regards

Neil M

Sand Martins at Summer Leys
courtesy of John Tilly.

Little Egret courtesy of
John Tilly.

Great Crested Newt handled with the 
appropriate authority courtesy of
Lewis Aaron.