Warmth, bluster, rain and calm

Hello

A strange mix of weather today with blustery and very mild conditions with some weak sunshine for the first half of the day with heavy rain this afternoon then a cessation of wind and rain to provide a calm, sunlit evening.

It is also that time of the year when roving tit flocks with a few Goldcrests, the last of the warblers and Treecreepers are foraging the hedges and copses where they bump into Song Thrushes and Redwings from the continent. Today the warm temperatures created further opportunities for dragonflies and Red Admirals to twirl and whizz around, the latter trying to find nectar and sweetness from fruits to continue their migration south.

Our garden Hedgehogs are very busy fattening up ahead of their potential hibernation and Common Frogs and Common Toads have been active during the last couple of wet days and Grass Snakes basking in the warm sunshine.

Seventeen Barnacle Geese of unknown origin were in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir this morning and this afternoon they flew around the southern half of the reservoir and appeared to land in a field just north of Moulton Grange Bay. Two adult Yellow-legged Gulls were also present.

The first year/female Ring-necked Duck was seen again on the Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston Pits (plus two Pintail) and the Cattle Egret and a Green Sandpiper were around the scrape at Summer Leys LNR, with three Grass Snakes showing well next to the Rotary Hide.

A Merlin was a good sighting at Stanwick Pits this morning where there was also a Cattle Egret, three Pintail and a Redshank.

Birds at Hollowell Reservoir were a Pink-footed Goose, two adult Caspian Gulls and an adult Yellow-legged Gull and over at Stanford Reservoir there were up to five Whooper Swans, a Garganey, four Red-crested Pochard, a Pintail and a Marsh Harrier.

Harrington Airfield this morning provided the first Woodcock of the autumn plus two Swallows, singing Chiffchaffs, two pairs of Stonechats, four Redpolls, two Bramblings, several Siskins, about a hundred Redwings and thirty Golden Plovers. A Grey Wagtail remains in the village at Hanging Houghton. Our local brood of Barn Owls finally fledged this evening.

Sywell Country Park hosted a pair of Stonechats, a Cetti's Warbler, about twenty Siskins and a Painted Lady butterfly with Painted Lady, Comma and of course many Red Admirals at Lamport Hall.

Regards

Neil M

Common Toad Sywell
Country Park today courtesy
of Eleanor.

Barnacle Geese.

Merlin courtesy of
Beth Clyne.

Woodcock.