Whimbrel and other waders on the move

Hello

A long day out at the Suffolk coast yesterday ensured there wasn't time for a blog last night!

Yesterday at Stanford Reservoir a total of fifteen Whimbrel flew through and other birds seen included a Marsh Harrier, two Common Sandpipers and two Spotted Flycatchers. Today there were three Common Sandpipers, a Hobby, a Wheatear and a Grasshopper Warbler was caught and ringed.

Also yesterday there was a Little Stint at Eyebrook Reservoir, two Black Terns were briefly at Hollowell Reservoir and a Marsh Harrier hunted there before departing plus a Little Ringed Plover, a Ringed Plover and a Common Sandpiper. Naseby also recorded a Whimbrel, a Ringed Plover, a Greenshank, a Common Snipe plus two Green Sandpipers and six Common Sandpipers.

Other birds for yesterday included three Black-tailed Godwits and a Little Ringed Plover on the Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits, a Little Ringed Plover, a Common Snipe, three Common Sandpipers, two fly-over Whimbrels, a Ruff and two Knot at Clifford Hill Pits and two Greenshanks and a Green Sandpiper on the New Workings/Whiston Wetlands. Summer Leys hosted a Wood Sandpiper, a Greenshank, two Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper and two Great White Egrets.

Also yesterday there were six Whinchats, a Common Redstart and a Marsh Harrier in the vicinity of shrike hedge in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton. There were two family parties of Hobby in the general area.

Today and a Garganey was found on the Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits and Summer Leys continued to hold on to a Wood Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper, four Common Sandpipers, a Ruff, a Ringed Plover, an Arctic Tern briefly, a Common Swift and with two Yellow-legged Gulls on Mary's Lake.

Five Cattle Egrets were on the main lake at Stanwick Pits this morning, the two Knot plus the Ruff, a Little Ringed Plover and two Common Sandpipers were again at Clifford Hill Pits.

This morning at Pitsford Reservoir action north of the causeway included ten Great White Egrets standing together in the Scaldwell Bay, two Yellow-legged Gulls, two Ospreys, a Marsh Harrier, a Peregrine, a Hobby, an Egyptian Goose, two Black Terns, at least three Ruff and six Greenshanks. Two more Yellow-legged Gulls were at the south end of the reservoir where later there were two Great White Egrets too.

At Naseby Reservoir today birds included the regular Caspian Gull, three Greenshanks, two Green Sandpipers, four Common Sandpipers and the local female Ruddy Shelduck with an Osprey and a Ringed Plover at Hollowell Reservoir.

Three Common Redstarts were at Harrington Airfield where also four Wheatears, two Whinchats and a Marsh Harrier and again six Whinchats and a Common Redstart were in the valley below Hanging Houghton. A Common Redstart and four Spotted Flycatchers were at the Gamboro' Plantation and two Common Redstarts were at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell. A Common Redstart was still at Lamport Hall but no Spotted Flycatchers were seen there.

Elsewhere and a Black Swan was noted at Towcester, three Wheatears were located at Spanhoe/Harringworth Airfield and a Caspian Gull was recorded from Daventry Country Park.

Clouded Yellow butterflies were seen at Harrington Airfield, in the valley below Hanging Houghton and south of Collyweston bridge along a concrete track. Some were still present yesterday in the field behind Cherry Hill and reached from the footpath leading from the village of Old.

Regards

Neil M

Flowering-rush.

Kingfisher.

Common Blue.

Great White and Little Egret.

Small Copper.

Above four images courtesy
of Tony Stanford from Summer
Leys LNR yesterday.