Willow Emerald damselflies

Hello

It was a quiet waterbirds count at Ditchford Pits today and another count minus Kingfishers. This used to be one of the best sites in the county for this bird in the autumn with counts on some days into double figures. A few Cetti's Warblers were attempting some vocalisation and there were a couple of just-fledged Reed Warbler families about. An Egyptian Goose was on the viaduct flock amongst hundreds of Canada and Greylag Geese. Lots of Migrant and Brown Hawkers on the wing and a couple of tired Blue Emperors too as their flight period diminishes. Common and Ruddy Darters were numerous and the best of the damselflies were quite a number of the Willow Emeralds, a relatively new addition to Northants odonata. There was a surprisingly good number of Banded Demoiselles on the wing. A Black-tailed Godwit was on Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve this morning.

Three Cattle Egrets on the main lake at Stanwick Pits continues the run of recent records with one still at Summer Leys LNR where was also a Great White Egret, a Kingfisher and an Osprey briefly (from the excellent photos of the ring it is an individual ringed as a nestling in the county in 2021).

The Black Terns were lingering with one still at Eyebrook Reservoir, two at Clifford Hill Pits and still one at Stanford Reservoir and one also at Hollowell Reservoir.

The ringing continues at Stanford Reservoir with three new Common Redstarts ringed (twenty-four ringed there this autumn) and five new Grasshopper Warblers amongst 272 birds newly ringed today. A juvenile Mediterranean Gull was there this evening plus six Common Sandpipers and twenty Common Swifts.

Other birds at Hollowell Reservoir today included the female Ruddy Shelduck, an Osprey, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Greenshank, four Common Sandpipers and two Green Sandpipers.

In the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir at various times of the day there were three Great White Egrets, a Green Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper, a Raven, the male Common Redstart still in the perimeter hedge and a Whinchat in waterside vegetation near to the Maytrees Hide.

In addition to the Black Terns there were three Common Sandpipers at Clifford Hill Pits and a Peregrine went over and nearby three Ravens overflew Billing Fishponds.

Ian counted six Spotted Flycatchers on the reserve at Woodford Halse and there were three at Crick Deer Park (plus a Green Sandpiper). A family party of four Spotted Flycatchers were in Hanging Houghton village late this afternoon and a different family party of five and two Hobbies were at Lamport Hall.

Regards

Neil M

Jim Dunkley photographed these
House Martins clambering around
in ornamental cherry trees at
Sywell Aerodrome some days ago.
They seemed to be actively hunting unknown
 and unseen insects/larva on the cherry leaves - 
unusual behaviour for a species that
normally hunts in prey on the wing.

Images courtesy of Jim.

Another harvest collie,
this time Rouzel enjoying
the stubble.

Willow Emerald damselflies
at Ditchford Pits today.