Flycatchers and more flycatchers!

Hello

More ringing conducted today in the county with over fifty birds being processed at Stortons Pits this morning and included three Lesser Whitethroats and a Spotted Flycatcher. Other birds there included many calling Water Rails, a few calling Cetti's Warblers, a couple of Kingfishers, a juvenile Peregrine and five Ring-necked Parakeets flew east at about 8am.

Over at Stanford Reservoir the dedicated ringing group processed 366 birds of which 312 were newly ringed and included a staggering nineteen Lesser Whitethroats plus three Common Redstarts (with another seen), a Kingfisher and two Grasshopper Warblers. Four Common Sandpipers were also present.

This afternoon a series of sightings indicates a fresh arrival of flycatchers in the county...

A Pied Flycatcher was found at Stanwick Pits about 200m from the open-backed main lake hide with two Cattle Egrets on the main lake early this morning.

The small wildlife trust reserve of Ramsden Corner near Stowe was well and truly added to the birding map with the discovery this afternoon of a Wood Warbler (a rarely seen autumn migrant in the county), a Pied Flycatcher and ten Spotted Flycatchers.

Eleanor's visit to Lamport Hall coincided with a hedgeful of birds which included at least twenty Spotted Flycatchers, a Pied Flycatcher and two Common Redstarts (including a freshly-arrived male).

Longer staying birds included two Common Redstarts at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this afternoon plus another single and two Whinchats and a Marsh Harrier in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton near 'Shrike Hedge'.

Birds at Hollowell Reservoir this evening included a Greenshank, a group of ten Common Redshanks, a Green Sandpiper and four Common Sandpipers. Pitsford Reservoir was the venue for four Great White Egrets and two Green Sandpipers in the Scaldwell Bay and an adult Yellow-legged Gull was off the dam.

The Cattle Egret was still at Summer Leys today, an Osprey was over the Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston Pits this afternoon and a Black Tern and a Common Sandpiper were at Clifford Hill Pits this afternoon. A Little Tern was seen at Eyebrook Reservoir this afternoon.

Regards

Neil M

Lesser Whitethroat courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Chiffchaff courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Sedge Warbler courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Spotted Flycatcher courtesy
of John Boland.