Ringing recoveries and Hobbies still

Hello

The stormy weather influencing the west coast of the UK took it's time reaching us with some influence from the winds and showers this evening. A steady passage of Meadow Pipits, wagtails and Siskins have been filtering over the county all day.

The Cattle Egret remained at Eyebrook Reservoir and the moulting adult Black-necked Grebe was again at Town Lake, Thrapston Pits with two juvenile Hobbies showing well on the Titchmarsh reserve.

At Pitsford Reservoir today there were two Great White Egrets in the Walgrave Bay plus a Hobby, several Siskins and a Raven. Four Hobbies were at Blueberry Hill today and in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton there were two Wheatears by 'shrike hedge' this morning plus a male Stonechat near the Brampton Valley Way car park.

Singles of Grey Wagtail and Raven were in Hanging Houghton village today and both Otter and Mink were recorded in Market Harborough alongside the River Welland earlier this week.

Recent ringing recoveries include:-

1. A male Blackcap was ringed in West Berkshire on 19th September 2022 and re-trapped at Pitsford Reservoir on 8th September 2023, 354 days later and 105km NNE from where first ringed;

2. A male Blackcap ringed at Pitsford Reservoir on 8th September 2023 was caught again eight days later at Stanford Reservoir which is 21km WNW from where first ringed;

3. A nestling Blue Tit was ringed at Wigsthorpe on 2nd June 2023 and caught and processed as a juvenile at Barnwell on 10th September 2023, 100 days later and just 4km NNE from where initially ringed;

4. A juvenile Reed Warbler was ringed at Woolston Eyes, Warrington on 28th July 2023 and captured again at Pitsford Reservoir on 16th August 2023. This bird had travelled 162km in a south-easterly direction and was part of a large fall of acrocephalus warblers at Pitsford on that day.

Regards

Neil M

Hobby courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Adult Hobby.

Male Blackcap courtesy
of Lewis Aaron.

Juvenile Shag courtesy
of John Tilly. Perhaps a bird
to look out for locally following
another blast of westerlies!