Humid conditions and woodpeckers

Hello

A ringing session at Harrington Airfield was curtailed when an unexpected band of rain and drizzle arrived and refused to budge for a couple of hours. Before that happened we managed to process about sixty-five birds which included a juvenile Green Woodpecker, two Blackbirds, a Song Thrush, a Reed Warbler, fifteen Common Whitethroats, two Blackcaps, four Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler, two Linnets, two Bullfinches and three Yellowhammers. An Osprey flew north at about 5.40am and later there was a Raven, a Common Redstart just south of Bunker One and two pairs of Grey Partridges, one with a large group of youngsters and with the parents using the injured wing distraction display. There will be a revisit there tomorrow morning to finish off the session, hopefully this time with no rain!

In the birding calendar we are now in autumn but some late breeding was indicated by some recently fledged Great Tits at Hanging Houghton (either a second or replacement brood) and a very late hatching of five Mute Swan cygnets north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir - one of only two broods on the whole reservoir (both broods of five).

At Pitsford Reservoir there was a Greenshank, two Redshanks, two Green Sandpipers, two Common Sandpipers and a Hobby in the Scaldwell Bay this morning and at Thrapston Pits an Osprey was over Elinor Lake with an adult Yellow-legged Gull on the lake.

Another early morning in Abington Park, Northampton produced more Crossbills with four flying west and a Hobby was seen at much the same time.

A Curlew flew over Old Pastures Wood, a Black-tailed Godwit was at Clifford Hill Pits and a Common Redstart was near shrike hedge in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and with one or two such birds at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell.

Regards

Neil M

Harrington Airfield sunset
glow courtesy of Helen Franklin.

Green Shieldbug courtesy
of John Tilly.

Juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Green Woodpecker courtesy of
Peter Walmsley.

Green Woodpecker courtesy
of Jane Neill.