Bank Holiday birds

Hello

A woodland ringing session at Scotland Wood on the Kelmatsh Estate was a modest affair with just thirty-six birds processed which included five Blackcaps, two Chiffchaffs, eight Goldcrests, a Nuthatch, two Treecreepers, two Great Spotted Woodpeckers and a juvenile Bullfinch. A Spotted Flycatcher was present as were one or two Tree Pipit(s) with one flying from the wood at dawn and presumably a different bird heard some hours later. Ravens and a fly-over Grey Wagtail were also noted.

Over at Stanford Reservoir 184 new birds were ringed which included two Kingfishers, and forty-seven re-traps and three 'controls' were also processed. Birds seen included two Whinchats, the Ruddy Shelduck, a Common Sandpiper and a Hobby.

At Pitsford Reservoir today there was a Whinchat between the causeway and Maytrees Hide, two Great White Egrets, a Hobby, a Ringed Plover and a Common Sandpiper.

A Spotted Flycatcher and a Grey Wagtail were at Stortons Pits today and birds spotted at Summer Leys LNR were the Bittern again, a Marsh Harrier, three Greenshanks, two Green Sandpipers, a Ruff, a Ringed Plover and two Great White Egrets.

Out to the west and three Common Redstarts were an excellent number for the small Woodford Halse LNR and an interesting raptor flew south that showed some features of a Honey Buzzard. A Marsh Harrier was high over Borough Hill Country Park, Daventry this morning, there were five Green Sandpipers at Lilbourne Meadows reserve and a Dunlin was found at Daventry Country Park.

Harrington Airfield provided a Marsh Harrier and two Common Redstarts and a single Common Redstart was at Lamport Hall. Another Common Redstart and two juvenile Hobbies were at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell and there were two Whinchats and six Spotted Flycatchers in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton with a Green Sandpiper and two Barn Owls present there this evening.

A Hobby and a Spotted Flycatcher were sightings at Towcester Water Meadow.

Regards

Neil M

Spotted Flycatcher at
Stortons Pits yesterday
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Raven at Stortons Pits
yesterday courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Juvenile Little Grebe.

Ruff courtesy of
Robin Gossage.