Heatwave birding

Hello

For most of us the heatwave continues and will do over the week-end.

Birds at Stanford Reservoir today included two Marsh Harriers again, one of which exhibited a red wing tag. Waders included three Ringed Plovers and two Golden Plovers flying through with two Common Sandpipers on the deck. At least three Whinchats and a Spotted Flycatcher were present and over two hundred new birds were ringed.

A Little Stint was a good bird for Hollowell Reservoir and two Whinchats remained at the feeder stream end of the reservoir. A second calendar year Mediterranean Gull was off the dam at Ravensthorpe Reservoir early this afternoon. Pitsford's contribution was a Common Sandpiper and three Grey Wagtails on the dam and a male Common Redstart in field hedging in the Scaldwell Bay, two Pintails, two Great White Egrets and a Yellow-legged Gull all north of the causeway.

Birds at Summer Leys LNR today included a Ruff, six Ringed Plovers, two Dunlin and two Common Sandpipers and two Cattle Egret were discovered on Titchmarsh LNR, Thrapston Pits this evening.

Migrant passerines included about six Spotted Flycatchers at Lamport Hall, at least two Spotted Flycatchers at Kelmarsh Hall and still two Whinchats by Shrike Hedge in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton. A pair of Mute Swans at Kelmarsh Hall have an extraordinary brood size of eleven  three-quarter size cygnets.

An adult Caspian Gull was present at Daventry Country Park today.

Another ringing session is planned for Harrington Airfield this coming Sunday when there will be restricted access around the bunkers and old airstrip. Anyone wishing to come along to observe proceedings are requested to make prior contact.

Regards

Neil M

Southern Hawker.

Marsh Tit.

Coal Tit.

Brown Hare leveret.

All above images courtesy
of Tony Stanford.