Fall of Blackcaps

Hello

Efforts were made today to catch and ring migrant birds at Harrington Airfield this morning and the session appeared to have coincided with a fall of warblers on-site. Two single Common Redstarts were present but declined to visit the mist nets! Diurnal migrants appeared to be restricted to one or two Siskin(s), several Yellow Wagtails and several Swallows. Nocturnal migrants roosting in the bushes included over two hundred Blackcaps with one hundred and eighty-five being caught and ringed. Other warblers ringed included five Garden Warblers, twenty-eight Common Whitethroats, seven Lesser Whitethroats, four Reed Warblers, a Willow Warbler and nine Chiffchaffs.

Stanford Reservoir attracted two Marsh Harriers this morning plus a Water Rail, five juvenile Shelduck, a Common Sandpiper, a Cetti's Warbler, six Yellow Wagtails and twelve Meadow Pipits.

At Summer Leys LNR today there was a juvenile Osprey, a Ruff, three Ringed Plovers, a Common Sandpiper, four Great White Egrets and a juvenile Shelduck with a Yellow-legged Gull and two Common Sandpipers at Thrapston Pits. A Wheatear was at Clifford Hill Pits.

Hollowell Reservoir hosted four Greenshanks, seven Common Sandpipers, a Ringed Plover and a Great White Egret. At Blueberry Farm, Maidwell there were three Common Redstarts and a Tree Pipit and a Wheatear with two Whinchats and a Common Redstart in the Shrike Hedge area in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

Three Common Redstarts and at least fifteen Spotted Flycatchers were at Lamport Hall as viewed from the footpath on the south side of the parkland this evening.

Regards

Neil M

Garden Warbler courtesy of
Chris Payne.

Kingfisher courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Dunlin courtesy of Robin Gossage.