Impressive waders

Hello

It was the turn of the waders to push through the county and impress today, but there were still Little Gulls on the move too!

The flooded meadow at Lower Barnwell Lock is John's domain and with a Wood Sandpiper there yesterday and early this morning further birds included an impressive three Spotted Redshanks (never a common bird in the spring), a Ruff, a Dunlin, two Little Ringed Plovers, a Common Snipe and singles of White and Yellow Wagtails.

The Nene Valley was busy and at Stanwick Pits there was a Marsh Harrier this morning, a Yellow Wagtail, a Little Ringed Plover, two Redshanks and flocks of Little Gulls totaling ten birds flew through in the afternoon.

Summer Leys LNR is always popular at this time of the year and observations included a Glossy Ibis, a Marsh Harrier, two Greenshanks, four Black-tailed Godwits, two Little Gulls, a Whimbrel and a Yellow Wagtail.

Clifford Hill Pits attracted ten Little Gulls and a Ringed Plover today, a Yellow Wagtail and a colour-ringed Osprey were at Hollowell Reservoir and birds at Pitsford Reservoir included the long-staying Great Northern Diver, an adult Little Gull briefly, an adult Yellow-legged Gull, two Ravens and a Great White Egret north of the causeway.

Stanford Reservoir provided views of three Great White Egrets, two Oystercatchers and a Barn Owl with a mixture of common winter and summer migrants too. A Grey Wagtail was in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth, a Peregrine was in Market Harborough town centre, two Ravens were at Lamport and a Redpoll was audible at Scotland Wood.

Other birds included seven Little Ringed Plovers at Lilbourne Water Meadows, a second calendar year Caspian Gull at Eyebrook Reservoir and a dead Tawny Owl that failed to successfully cross the A508 between Maidwell and Lamport.

At Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this afternoon there was a male Ring Ouzel, a Wheatear, two Yellow Wagtails and sixty Fieldfares.

Regards

Neil M

Whimbrel at Summer Leys LNR
today courtesy of Stuart Munday.

Male Ring Ouzel courtesy
of Dave Jackson.