Birds of Friday and Saturday

Hello

I'm not long back from a Naturetrek tour to Norway, exploring the Lofoten and Vesteralen islands - I've created an additional page or tab devoted to this tour entitled 'Norway 2024'.

Yesterday (Friday) birds north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir in the evening included a fishing Osprey in the Scaldwell Bay, a sleeping Red-crested Pochard with Mallard off the Old Scaldwell Road, a Hobby and a Great White Egret.

Also yesterday an Osprey was seen at Hollowell Reservoir in the morning before heading off to Ravensthorpe Reservoir and the female Ruddy Shelduck was also there (Hollowell). A Cattle Egret was seen in flight over the New Workings at Earls Barton Pits and the two calling Quail were again reported near Walgrave village off the Broughton Road at 52.3584, -0.8229.

The best birds at Stanford Reservoir were three Oystercatchers, nine Pochard and about seventy Swifts.

Today (Saturday) and an Osprey was seen flying north over Irthlingborough just after 10am and two Black-tailed Godwits were at Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve before being flushed late morning.

A male Common Redstart in the traditional stop-over hedge at Lilbourne Water Meadows reserve between the two water meadows this morning was a further sign of 'autumn passage'. A singing Grasshopper Warbler was at Dallington Heath at Midday.

A Little Tern was at Eyebrook Reservoir this afternoon and at Pitsford Reservoir there was an adult Great White Egret and a ringing session there caught plenty of young birds including an unexpected juvenile male Stonechat which presumably is the result of successful breeding not too far away. The Scaldwell Meadows in the Scaldwell Bay was the venue for a good number of Marbled White and Meadow Brown butterflies and rather less Small Heaths. Odonata included Blue Emperor and Black-tailed Skimmer.

Three Oystercatchers remained at Stanford Reservoir as did nine Pochard and six Common Sandpipers were a good number plus two Great White Egrets over and a Hobby.

Regards

Neil M

Male Common Redstart.

Male Chaffinch.

Spotted Flycatcher.

Comma butterfly.

All images courtesy
of Tony Stanford.