Stanford's ringing efforts continue

Hello

The remarkable on-going ringing effort at Stanford Reservoir continues today with 606 new birds caught and ringed plus just 17 re-trapped birds and three birds bearing rings from elsewhere. This demonstrate the phenomenal movements of our small migrants which quickly move on and are replaced by others. Today four new Common Redstarts hit the mist nets bringing this autumn's total to thirty-one and two new Grasshopper Warblers were also noteworthy. Examples of other species moving in volume included fifty-four new Sedge Warblers, eighty-seven Willow Warblers, an amazing twenty-one Lesser Whitethroats and twenty-four Garden Warblers.

A smaller scale ringing operation took place at Pitsford Reservoir with a few hours yesterday evening and this morning producing nearly one hundred and fifty captures. Nothing rare or scarce was encountered but the total included thirty-nine Reed Warblers, twenty-seven Sedge Warblers, seven Garden Warblers, three Lesser Whitethroats, seven Common Whitethroats and eleven Tree Sparrows.

Other birds noted at Pitsford Reservoir today included an Osprey, three Great White Egrets, a Kingfisher, a Garganey, three Yellow-legged Gulls, two Wheatears, two Whinchats and two Spotted Flycatchers.

At Thrapston Pits today there were two Great White Egrets, a Hobby, a Peregrine and a Yellow-legged Gull. Four Spotted Flycatchers were at Barnwell Country Park.

A fourth Pied Flycatcher in the county yesterday stems from an individual on the outskirts of Creaton but it seems that all of these individuals have quickly moved on with no reports today.

At Lamport Hall three different Common Redstarts were found but the Spotted Flycatcher count was down to about six birds. Nearby there were two Whinchats and a Wheatear near 'Shrike Hedge' in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton with two Common Redstarts and a family of Spotted Flycatchers at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell.

Summer Leys LNR hosted the Cattle Egret again plus two Great White Egrets, two Common Snipe, two Ringed Plovers, a Ruff, a Common Sandpiper, a Pintail, a juvenile Mediterranean Gull, an adult Yellow-legged Gull and a Spotted Flycatcher. Two Cattle Egrets were with cattle at Stanwick Pits this afternoon.

On the insect front it seems that quite a few of the impressive Large Red Underwing moths are being found around the county and Mark found yet another Lesser Emperor dragonfly, this time at Sywell Country Park along the bank to the west of the dam.

Regards

Neil M

Tree Sparrow courtesy
of Jane Neill.

Sunrise at Pitsford Reservoir
courtesy of Jane Neill.

Spotted Flycatchers courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Hobby courtesy of
Robin Gossage.