Decent weather at last!

Hello

A very pleasant day's weather following a foggy start was very welcome!

A small ringing team operating at Stortons Pits processed thirty-four birds with warblers dominating amounting to five Garden Warblers, six Blackcaps, three Reed Warblers, three Sedge Warblers, a single Common Whitethroat and four re-trap Cetti's Warblers. Other species turning up in the mist nets were Wren, Dunnock, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin, Blue Tit and Reed Bunting.

Another ringing session was undertaken at Linford Pits, Milton Keynes on Sunday which accounted for sixty-nine birds, thirty-nine of which were newly-ringed. Warblers here were made up of seven Blackcaps, two Garden Warblers, a single Common Whitethroat, seven Reed Warblers, one Sedge Warbler and a single Chiffchaff. Seven Greenfinches and three Goldfinches furthered the finch totals for the site this spring and two Great Spotted Woodpeckers included a bird ringed as a youngster in 2016. A Jackdaw was an unexpected capture and it was good to see juvenile Long-tailed Tits and Robins. Six Reed Buntings was a good number for this time of the year. Three Cuckoos and a Raven were seen on-site.

Back today and three Cattle Egrets were noted as singles at Summer Leys LNR, in a sheep field between Cogenhoe and the River Nene and in a field between Nether Heyford and Upper Heyford.

An Osprey and three Hobbies were noted over Summer Leys today and Clifford Hill Pits also attracted a Hobby and a Common Sandpiper. A Hobby and a Cuckoo were noted at Stanwick Pits and Spotted Flycatchers were seen in Towcester and Braunston. A Redpoll has been around the garden here at Hanging Houghton all day.

A Hobby and a pair of Grey Partridges were about the only things of note at Harrington Airfield this afternoon. There will be a ringing session there on Friday which will restrict access to the bunker and scrubby area between the Chippings Compound and the concrete track.

A remarkable litter of nine Fox cubs (or maybe two litters combined?) were watched playing out near Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this evening. Fifty-five birds of prey in a nearby field were more or less an even split between Common Buzzard and Red Kite!

Regards

Neil M

Juvenile Robin courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

Juvenile Long-tailed Tit
courtesy of Kenny Cramer.

Singing Robin courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Sedge Warbler courtesy
of Tony Stanford.