Norway and back

Hello

I'm just back in from a Naturetrek tour in Norway - some images from this tour can be seen on the page or tab 'Norway - Whales and Seabirds of Norway's Lofoten Islands 2023'.

This morning and a couple of Ravens were vocal at Hanging Houghton and earlier Neil Hasdell endured a poor view of an interesting Swift sp passing over Harrington Airfield. Further visits by both Neil and myself failed to find this no doubt transitory bird. Not far outside the county and John Friendship-Taylor photographed an apparent Black Kite this morning on his way to work just west of Bicester towards Chesterton.

The male Bearded Tit remains at Pitsford Reservoir in the phragmites reedbed below the Fishing Lodge in the Holcot Bay and showing well at 8.30am. Up to fifty Sand Martins were off the dam late this morning.

At Earls Barton Pits there was a Great White Egret on Hardwater Lake and birds of note on the Summer Leys LNR included a female Shoveler with eight ducklings (the second brood seen there this year) and a Green Sandpiper and a Garganey.

Birds at Hollowell Reservoir today included an Osprey, a female Ruddy Shelduck, three Common Sandpipers and three Green Sandpipers. A Barnacle Goose was on the canal west of Stortons Pits and two Kingfishers were on the brook in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

A Curlew flew NW this evening at Stanford Reservoir where there were also three Oystercatchers, a Common Sandpiper, a Cuckoo and a Cetti's Warbler.

Marbled White butterflies were fluttering at Harrington Airfield and the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and a Monarch butterfly visiting a county garden today would be an amazing record if the insect is of wild origin. Wakerley Wood was the venue for White Admiral, Marbled White and Silver-washed Fritillaries today with all three species and Purple Emperors being seen at Old Pastures Wood, Yardley Chase yesterday.

Regards

Neil M

Marbled White.

Burnett moth sp.

Juvenile Goldfinch.

Barnacle Goose.

Chiffchaff.

Blackbird.

All images courtesy
of Tony Stanford.