Northamptonshire Birding: Quails and Ospreys

It's mid week already and before we know it the weekend will be upon us. We still seem to be in a quiet period for birds with very few being reported. On Monday there was a Marsh Harrier, 4 Little Ringed Plovers and Common Sandpiper at Stanwick GP. Yesterday there was a Mediterranean Gull at Stanwick and Osprey at Pitsford. However there was an interesting record of 2 singing Quail at 21.55hrs just north of the village Walgrave. Think that I was actually in bed at this time !! Today there was an Osprey again at Pitsford Reservoir and the Quail was again singing near Walgrave this evening (19.10hrs). I had checked the area near Walgrave twice earlier in the day as I was visiting family in the village, but to no avail. This evening I decided to walk the dogs at Harrington Airfield once it had cooled down. Very quiet for birds but plenty of Marbled White Butterflies on the wing even at 20.50hrs. I decided that I might as well take the long way home and drive via Walgrave. But I stopped off en route at the War Memorial on the road between Lamport and Harrington and heard a Quail calling from beyond the Memorial. When I arrived at the Quail site near Walgrave I discovered that it hadn't been heard for a while. I waited around for a while and then decided to check the fields as its an area that I'm very familiar with having spent my childhood in Walgrave. Although a pleasant walk the only bird of note was a Barn Owl.

This year there seems to have been a noticeable increase in the number of Ospreys being reported. Sometimes it has felt as if every body of water had an Osprey. Many of these birds have been photographed and their ring numbers noted. The team at the Rutland Osprey Project have been able to identify these birds and many of them are 2nd or 3rd year birds from the Rutland Project who are not breeding but simply loafing around and checking out the area . It is possible that they may return in the future and decide to breed.

Today has been a very exciting day for the team from the Rutland Osprey Project and for the county as an amazing six young Ospreys have been Ringed!!! This would have been unheard of years ago as Ospreys were incredibly rare in the county and I can still remember the excitement of seeing my first Osprey. It was such a thrill. But none of these young Ospreys would have been possible but for the work of the Rutland Osprey Project. I was very fortunate to be invited along today to one of the nests and witnessed 3 young Ospreys being ringed. There was such a size difference between the birds, the smallest weighed 1.34kg and wing length 248mm and the largest weighed 1.69kg and wing length 345mm showing the difference between the chicken that hatched first and the one which hatched last with probably about a week's difference between their hatching. It was quite remarkable to see. All birds seemed very healthy and there were 2 females who were large and fiesty and a much smaller placid male. Such incredible birds when seen close up and hopefully in a few weeks time they will be airborne and exploring the waterways before heading south.

Finally some of the more interesting Butterflies are emerging. Purple Emperor has been seen at Fermyn Wood and Bucknell Wood, Purple Hairstreaks at Hollowell Reservoir, White Letter Hairstreak at Lady Wood, Marbled Whites at Pitsford Reservoir, Harrington Airfield and near Paulerspury as well as White Admiral in the same area.

Regards Eleanor