Migration on a cloudy day

Hello

A day for the most part spent out and about in mostly cloudy and dull conditions which didn't stop the trickle of Meadow Pipits, wagtails, hirundines, Skylarks and Siskins moving through the county.

The Black-necked Grebe remained on Town Lake at Thrapston Pits today and a pair of Stonechat were on the Titchmarsh reserve. Four Great White Egrets were noted at Summer Leys LNR this morning. Several Siskins and a Water Rail were at Fawsley Park and the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Reservoir at lunchtime continued to attract two Great White Egrets, a Hobby and a Raven.

The dam area at Pitsford Reservoir this evening provided four Yellow-legged Gulls, two Common Sandpipers, a Raven and a Grey Wagtail.

A flock of ten Ring-necked Parakeets were over Little Billing, Northampton this evening flying towards Bellinge. A Raven was over Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadow reserve this morning and Raven and Grey Wagtail were again in the village at Hanging Houghton.

The hedgerows, copses and gardens continue to attract plenty of shrill-calling Chiffchaffs in the county currently and in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton today there were two Whinchats and two Wheatears near 'shrike hedge' and two Stonechats at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this morning which later made their way down to the 'shrike hedge' area this afternoon.

A ringing session is planned for Harrington Airfield this coming Saturday when access to the bunkers and old airstrip will be restricted. Should anyone wish to come along and observe proceedings please let me know beforehand. The footpaths along the concrete track and further west are unaffected.

An additional page has been created on the blog depicting some of the wildlife highlights of a recent ten day tour in Romania exploring the Carpathian Mountains and Danube Delta...

Regards

Neil M

Juvenile Red Kite.

Buck Muntjac.

Gis us a kiss!
Cormorants jostling
at Ravensthorpe Reservoir.

Pink-barred Sallow moth.