More post-breeding dispersal

Hello

A Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was seen at Stanford Reservoir today where there were also three hundred Lesser Black-backed Gulls, three Oystercatchers, two Cuckoos including a rufous morph female and a Kingfisher.

A Little Owl was showing nicely at Hanging Houghton this afternoon with a Barn Owl in the Brampton Valley below the village this morning.

More post-breeding dispersal today with a Curlew and two Redshanks at Clifford Hill Pits and the two summer plumage Mediterranean Gulls were again at Summer Leys LNR this afternoon - they may have left it a bit late to breed locally this year. Four Hobbies and six Egyptian Geese were at Earls Barton Pits at the older end of the complex.

A Great White Egret, two Egyptian Geese and a Grey Wagtail were in the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Reservoir today; the best of the odonata on show being Four-spotted Chasers and Beautiful Demoiselles.

Regards

Neil M

Efforts at opening up
the old oak woodland in the
 Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Reservoir
 have provided an opportunity for
dormant seed banks to germinate - 
resulting in an impressive display 
of Foxgloves.

This first year male
Sparrowhawk was photographed
by Tony Stanford and exhibits a
curious elongated toe on it's
left foot.

Small Tortoiseshell butterfly.