That's the Weekend over !!

Well that's the weekend over. Very little birding for me as out with the young collies at an agility competition where they enjoyed themselves and even managed some placings. This meant that my birding was restricted to the evening and I spent both Saturday and Sunday evening watching the large mixed flock of Common Buzzards and Red Kites feeding on the fields between Hanging Houghton and Cottesbrooke. This is quite a remarkable sight as at times over sixty birds are present and they exhibit a wide range of plumage variations.  Yesterday there were three very striking "white" Buzzards as well as a couple of almost black individuals. 

It certainly doesn't look like I missed much in the county with very few birds reported.  Osprey at Summer Leys,  Oundle and Hollowell,  Marsh Harrier at Earls Barton GP,  Red Crested Pochard at Earls Barton GP and Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows,  Whinchat at Clifford Hill and over at Stanwick GP a Garganey and 2 Black Tailed Godwits. 

There have been a couple of ringing sessions held locally. On Thursday 16th a ringing session at Stortons GP produced 13 species, 23 new birds and 13 re-traps. Two notable re-traps, a Cetti's Warbler ringed as an adult February 2019 and a Sedge Warbler, also an adult ringed June 2019.  

                                                                                         A ringing session at Milton Keynes (Kenny Cramer) today also turned up 2 interesting re-traps. A female Great Spotted Woodpecker who was originally ringed as an adult in 2017 which makes her at least 8 years old!! This bird has been caught 11 times, most recently in January, however, the next previous encounter was 2019, so goodness knows where she has been hiding. The second re-trap bird was a "control" as it wasn't previously ringed at this site and was a Reed Warbler ringed as an adult in 2022. The BTO records will confirm where this bird was originally ringed.                 

Other birds processed in this session included13 Reed Warblers, 7 Chiffchaffs, 4 Blackcaps, 3 Garden Warblers, a Whitethroat, 2 Jays, 2 Jackdaws, 4 Great Spotted Woodpeckers and an immature Cuckoo. 

Have a good week 

Regards Eleanor 

Cuckoo courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

Jackdaw courtesy of
Kenny Cramer.

Reed Warbler courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Drake Garganey courtesy
of Tony Stanford.