Harriers and more waders

Hello

A juvenile female Hen Harrier was a nice surprise this morning, the bird being disturbed from a field edge just south of Blueberry Farm at 7.45am this morning. This bird showed again this afternoon between Blueberry Farm and shrike hedge and again this evening when chasing Skylarks. A Common Redstart and two Whinchats were in the general area of shrike hedge in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton too.

At Pitsford Reservoir today the waders in the Scaldwell Bay comprised of a Wood Sandpiper, at least three Green Sandpipers, six Greenshanks, a Common Snipe and three Ruff. Seven Great White Egrets were also fishing north of the causeway and an Osprey was seen early this morning.

Hollowell Reservoir attracted a Black-tailed Godwit, a Greenshank and a Yellow-legged Gull, Naseby Reservoir pulled in two Caspian Gulls, four Ringed Plovers, two Greenshanks, two Green Sandpipers and five Common Sandpipers.

Two adult Yellow-legged Gulls were on Town Lake at Thrapston Pits with a Little Ringed Plover and a Bittern on the Titchmarsh reserve.

Summer Leys LNR was good for a juvenile Marsh Harrier, a Peregrine, a juvenile Ruff, a Ringed Plover, a Greenshank, a Green Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper, three Common Snipe and two Great White Egrets.

An apparent Slavonian Grebe at Clifford Hill Pits was causing some identification issues early this morning but couldn't be found later in the day. Other birds there were a Barnacle Goose, a Ruff, a Little Ringed Plover and three Common Sandpipers.

Seven juvenile Little Gulls were at the northern end of Eyebrook Reservoir this morning and Stanford Reservoir had two Marsh Harriers (one picked up injured), two Whinchats, two Spotted Flycatchers, an Osprey, a Ruff, five Common Sandpipers and three Grasshopper Warblers which were caught and ringed.

Stanwick Pits saw an Osprey passing over early morning and a Cattle Egret on Roadside Pit.

Regards

Neil M

Marsh Harrier courtesy
of Dave Jackson.

Greenshank and a Green 
Sandpiper courtesy of
Dave Jackson.

All images from Summer Leys
LNR today.