Warblers and more!

Hello

The ringing session at Linford Lakes yesterday which included a Common Redstart and a Tree Pipit yielded 123 birds of twenty species, the majority of which were newly-ringed. It was another day with large warbler totals including 35 Chiffchaffs, 28 Blackcaps, 10 Willow Warblers, 6 Common Whitethroats, a Lesser Whitethroat, five Reed Warblers, two Sedge Warblers and two Cetti's Warblers. Seven juvenile Swallows were successfully netted and processed.

Today's ringing at Stanford Reservoir included a Whinchat (with another present), three more Common Redstarts, two Grasshopper Warblers, six Lesser Whitethroats, eighty-four Blackcaps and fifteen Garden Warblers within a total of 269 birds ringed today. Other birds present included a Marsh Harrier and two Common Sandpipers.

Some ringing in the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Reservoir provided 77 captures with perhaps the highlights being five Chiffchaffs, eighteen Blackcaps, three Garden Warblers, three Bullfinches and singles of Treecreeper and Nuthatch. A juvenile Marsh Harrier and a juvenile female Peregrine lingered north of the causeway and there were at least two Great White Egrets, two Hobbies, two Green Sandpipers, a Yellow-legged Gull, a Pintail, two Ravens, at least one Kingfisher, a Spotted Flycatcher, a few fly-over Siskins, a calling Common Redstart in a field hedge just south of the Bird Club hide and three mobile Whinchats in Scaldwell Meadows ranging between the causeway and the Bird Club hide.

An adult Caspian Gull was on a buoy off the dam this evening with two Yellow-legged Gulls present plus a Redshank, two Common Sandpipers and about ten Yellow Wagtails.

Two Cattle Egrets were seen at Stanwick Pits again and Summer Leys LNR supported a Ruff, a Common Sandpiper, three Common Snipe, a Pintail and a juvenile Mediterranean Gull briefly.

At least three Whinchats were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton at 'Shrike Hedge' with a Raven in the village and four Spotted Flycatchers at Lamport Hall late in the afternoon. A Spotted Flycatcher was at Fermyn Woods this afternoon.

Regards

Neil M

Cetti's Warbler courtesy 
of Kenny Cramer.

Odd-shaped rainbow over
Linford Lakes yesterday
courtesy of Kenny Cramer.

Great White Egret courtesy
of Dave Jackson.

Male Blackcap courtesy
of Robin Gossage.