Stanford's annual Wryneck!

Hello

The ringers at Stanford Reservoir have managed for the fourth consecutive year to catch and ring a migrant Wryneck. A single bird was caught and ringed this morning as were three more Common Redstarts and another Grasshopper Warbler. Over three hundred birds found the mist nets this morning, the bulk of which will be migrant warblers passing through. Other birds noted at the reservoir included two Common Sandpipers, as many as twenty Ravens, two Spotted Flycatchers and five Swifts. A flock of about thirty Siskins flew over.

Birds at Pitsford Reservoir north of the causeway this morning included four juvenile Whinchats between the causeway and Maytrees Hide, four Great White Egrets, a Barnacle Goose, an adult Yellow-legged Gull, a Kingfisher and a Green Sandpiper. A Redshank was still on the dam and this afternoon two Yellow-legged Gulls (adult and juvenile) were at The Narrows.

Two Wood Sandpipers appeared briefly at Stanwick Pits early this morning before departing but the two Cattle Egrets remained. Three Green Sandpipers were at Spinney Quarry, Earls Barton Pits with an Osprey over Summer Leys LNR and six Pintail on the reserve near Wader Bay. A good find by Stuart yesterday was of a Wasp Spider on the reserve.

Harrington Airfield today was good for a Marsh Harrier, three Common Redstarts, a Spotted Flycatcher and two Wheatears and the list of birds at Hollowell Reservoir this morning included a juvenile Caspian Gull, a Pink-footed Goose, an Osprey, a Greenshank, three Green Sandpipers, two Common Sandpipers, six Yellow Wagtails and a Spotted Flycatcher.

Two Common Redstarts remain at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell and the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton provided for two Whinchats, a Wheatear and two Golden Plovers at 'Shrike Hedge'. Two more Common Redstarts were in field hedging visible from the footpath leading from Bridle Road, Old towards the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon (birds in the first and fourth fields walking from Bridle Road). Two Hobbies were at Lamport Hall this evening.

Weasel video courtesy of John Boland.

Regards

Neil M

Wryneck at Stanford Reservoir
today courtesy of Beth Newark
Stanford Ringing Group.

Speckled Wood butterfly.

Male House Sparrow. About fifty
of these birds are visiting our garden
daily, both adults and juveniles
undergoing complete moult at this
time of the year to the point when it
is complete it won't be possible to 
age individuals on plumage characteristics.