For Julie

Hello

A week-end of ringing began yesterday (Saturday) with Kenny and a rather small team being completely immersed in ringing throughout the day at Linford Lakes. One hundred and eighteen birds of twenty-two species kept them stretched on a day when they couldn't connect with the winter thrushes but found just about everything else! Interesting birds included a Barn Owl, two Kingfishers, a Water Rail, a Jay, two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a Mute Swan, no less than eleven Chiffchaffs, three Blackcaps, seven Goldfinches, a Lesser Redpoll, a Goldcrest and two Treecreepers. Other things noted included two Great White Egrets and a Great Crested Newt.

Today (Sunday) and a very special ringing session took place at Stortons Pits on the outskirts of Northampton. Earlier this year we lost a very good friend and ringing colleague - Julie Donohoe - a bubbly, caring and lovely person who we all miss enormously. Julie's ringing career began at Stortons initially under the tutelage of John Woollett but she also regularly attended other sessions managed by Northants Ringing Group members. In addition to the ringing today, Julie's husband Ken and daughter Clare and son Andrew came along to see why Julie had been getting up at stupid o' clock for years! After seeing the ringers in action and even seeing and releasing a re-trap bird that Julie had originally ringed it was time to plant a nurtured two year oak tree from an acorn collected from The Mere at Holcot. Ken duly dug the little tree in and poignant, emotive words were spoken and we recounted marvellous times with such a special person to all of us.

Oh yes and the birds didn't disappoint with captures of two Chiffchaffs, a Cetti's Warblers, three Redwings, several Reed Buntings and a Grey Wagtail amongst more regular fare. Other birds on-site included a second Grey Wagtail, singles of Siskin and Redpoll, several Water Rails and more Cetti's Warblers and about two thousand Starlings flying out from their roost in the reeds.

Interesting birds seen around the county included up to five Hawfinches in Cottesbrooke village, two or three Bramblings and a Raven in Hanging Houghton village, a Siskin in Scotland Wood (Kelmarsh) and two Ravens near Haselbech.

Birds at Stanford Reservoir today included a Mediterranean Gull and a Caspian Gull in the gull roost, a drake Pintail, a female Red-crested Pochard, two Kingfishers, two Water Rails and eighteen Redpolls.

A Marsh Harrier, three Great White Egrets and a possible Jack Snipe were noted from the Paul Britten hide at Summer Leys LNR.

Regards

Neil M

Members of the Northants
Ringing Group at Stortons
Pits today with Ken, Andrew
and Clare, courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Julie's oak with Ken,
Andrew and Clare, courtesy
of Chris Payne.

Jay courtesy of
Kenny Cramer.

Male Lesser Redpoll
courtesy of Kenny Cramer.

Barn Owl courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

Great Crested Newt
courtesy of Kenny Cramer.