Swifts, House Martins and Swallows.

Hello

Yesterday (Thursday) and an evening ringing session at Lamport Hall netted twenty-five birds comprising of ten Swifts, fourteen House Martins and a House Sparrow. Seven of the Swifts were re-trap birds from previous years with two of them first ringed in 2018. Two of the House Martins were re-trapped birds from 2021 and 2022. About thirty Swifts together screaming around was the most we saw and at least thirteen pairs of House Martins had nests but this year there were seemingly no Swallows breeding.

Also yesterday evening thirty Swifts were screaming around the village of Spratton with a party of at least sixteen in Brixworth the same afternoon so there are still some places with vibrant if small colonies. Many people are reporting low numbers of breeding Swallows and House Martins locally and there are examples of both species being completely absent from once-favoured areas.

Birds reported for yesterday included the Ruddy Shelduck at Winwick Pools again, a Wood Sandpiper at Eyebrook Reservoir and an early morning Osprey at Stanford Reservoir plus a couple of colour-ringed Common Terns originating from a project in the West Midlands.

Two Great White Egrets were in the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Reservoir and a Peregrine was seen; the two male Common Redstarts were still at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell in the morning and three Ravens flew over Hanging Houghton.

Today (Friday) and a particularly warm day again saw the temperatures soar to the high twenties Centigrade. An Osprey flew south at Pitsford Reservoir at 7.20am and five Green Sandpipers and a Common Sandpiper were at Daventry Country Park. In a good year for this species in the county an Osprey flew high east over Summer Leys LNR this afternoon.

Regards

Neil M

Green Sandpipers at Daventry
Country Park today courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Brimstone butterfly courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Hornet Plume-horn hoverfly
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Common Swift at Lamport Hall
courtesy of Michelle Spinks.