Whinchats and more

Hello

A week of breezy and partly cloudy conditions are not particularly usual for August but this lively weather is set to continue into next week. With the jet stream hurtling our way from the west it's unlikely to provide very much for us here in Northants unless some more American waders would like to show up?

A visit to Bucknell Wood in the south of the county was very much out of the wind and there were common species of butterfly and odonata on the wing as well as pollinating insects on the Ragwort and Angelica. A party of Spotted Flycatchers had attached themselves to a tit flock there and Marsh Tits and Nuthatches were pretty vocal. For me the best of the lot was an adult Slow worm, not something I'm normally able to find in the county.

At Blueberry Farm, Maidwell there were three male Common Redstarts this morning but just two Whinchats in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton near to shrike hedge.

I don't believe the Lesser Yellowlegs was reported at Lilbourne Meadows reserve today but a Green Sandpiper was on the dwindling flood pools there. At Stanford Reservoir a potential northern race ('acredula') Willow Warbler was processed by the ringers there this morning. Birds on-site included the Ruddy Shelduck still, a Common Sandpiper, a Spotted Flycatcher and a Whinchat.

Clifford Hill Pits had a good day with a summer plumage adult Black-necked Grebe and a Wood Sandpiper on the main lake. A Wood Sandpiper remained at Summer Leys LNR too.

At Pitsford Reservoir there was a Whinchat still in the Scaldwell Bay and an Osprey was seen over the Walgrave Bay and a Whinchat remained at Hollowell Reservoir too.

Regards

Neil M

Swallow in a bird hide
courtesy of John Tilly.

The very successful
Grey Squirrel courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Great Crested Grebe family
and a Pike offering.

Large Skipper.

Whinchat courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

House Sparrow courtesy
of Robin Gossage.