Red-necked Phalarope

Great excitement today when a female Red Necked Phalarope was discovered at Lilbourne Meadows and I believe showed well and was still being watched at 19.55 hrs. Maybe it will hang around for a few days and I can get over see it as I haven't seen one of these birds in the county for a while.  That's of course if I can find my way to Lilbourne Meadows as I still haven't managed to visit this reserve. 

Other birds reported today,  Little and Arctic Terns at Daventry CP,  Grey Plover at Stanwick GP and Black Tailed Godwit,  Common Sandpiper and Black Tern at Summer Leys.                    Yesterday there was a Sanderling briefly at Stanford Reservoir,  Garganey at Stanwick GP and Red Crested Pochard at Earls Barton GP and Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows. 

I have visited Harrington Airfield but it was extremely quiet and two visits to the dam at Pitsford Reservoir today proved equally as quiet.   Even the large mixed flock of Red Kites and Common Buzzards below Hanging Houghton and Cottesbrooke are dispersing.  There were only 15 birds in the fields this evening.                                                                    The birds in the garden have been keeping me busy.  I can't believe how much food they are consuming and it is a full time job keeping the feeders etc topped up.  Sadly we have lost all our young Blackbirds to the regular Sparrowhawk and several young Starlings to our neighbours cat, the Sparrowhawk and window strikes!! It's a very stressful time trying to keep all these young birds safe and give them a  chance in life.

Regards Eleanor 

Brimstone butterfly.

Scorpion Fly sp.

Little Egret.

Chimney Sweeper moths.

All images courtesy
of Tony Stanford.