Northamptonshire Birding: Purple Heron

Hello

Another day of strong weather with powerful south-west gusts, squally showers and periods of sunshine.

The best find of the day was undoubtedly a Purple Heron found at Stanford Reservoir, spending time in both counties, but it wasn't seen during the latter part of the day but could still be present in the reservoir reed beds. Other birds there included a Lesser Whitethroat, yet another early migrant in a spring with plenty of premature arrivals.

In the Nene Valley a small influx of terns at Thrapston Pits increased to a dozen birds and appeared to include both Common and Arctic Terns and like most waters there was a good concentration of hirundines of all three common species.

Clifford Hill Pits attracted an Arctic Tern, two Common Terns, two Little Ringed Plovers, two Ringed Plovers, three Common Sandpipers, three White Wagtails and two Yellow Wagtails. It seems the terns had departed by this evening.

Earls Barton Pits attracted an early Hobby, a Peregrine, a Little Gull, a Cattle Egret and common hirundines and warblers and the female Ring-necked Duck was again on Cotton Reel Lake at Ditchford Pits.

Pitsford Reservoir seemed to suffer a quiet day with plenty of Swallows and martins to enjoy but not much else! The adult Yellow-legged Gull was still present and was seen mating with a Lesser Black-backed Gull - creating another identification headache for the future perhaps! A Raven and a Little Egret was all I could find and no sign of any terns! A single Common Tern was at Hollowell Reservoir this evening and an Arctic Tern was seen at Eyebrook Reservoir.

A sheltered area along the concrete track at Harrington Airfield was the venue for a female Ring Ouzel this morning with four singing Willow Warblers hopefully being returning breeders and also two male Wheatears in the field beyond Bunker Three.

Regards

Neil M