Saturday was another lovely Autumn day and I was lucky to be able to be out and about enjoying myself as I ambled about with my four legged companions. Plenty of birds around "shrike hedge area " and surrounding fields including 4 Stonechats and 2 Whinchats. Early afternoon I decided to visit Harrington Airfield and as it was such lovely weather I spent over 2 hours meandering around, stopping and starting, listening and looking. My tactics paid off. Whilst sitting at bunker 3 I thought I heard a distant harsh chacking call. Despite listening intently I didn't hear it again but then I noticed a movement on a pile of stones which turned out to be a fem/imm Ring Ouzel which hopped about before dropping off the stones and I never saw it again. I had literally just started walking again when a Short Eared Owl got up in front of me. The bird looked amazing in the afternoon sunlight and I never tire of watching these. Other birds around the bunkers included a pair of Stonechat, 2 Blackcaps and a few Chiffchaffs. At the time I was sitting there plenty of birds were going over including a single Redwing, 2 Redpolls, 6 Siskins, 2 Golden Plovers and a female Peregrine. I think that Harrington Airfield is one of the best places to experience visible migration if you time it right. Other birds reported on Saturday include Glossy Ibis at Summer Leys, Stanford Reservoir and Titchmarsh LNR, a Bittern at Stanwick GP and Titchmarsh LNR and Little Stint with assorted waders at Pitsford Reservoir.
Sunday morning at 05.00 as I was out walking the dogs I heard Redwings going over the house !!! That was all my birding done for the day as I spent the day at Malvern competing with Jaeger as he had qualified for a special agility final with the top 70 dogs from the nationwide qualifyers taking part. Although we didn't come away with any placings Jaeger gave it his best shot and he thoroughly enjoyed himself. Yesterday seemed quiet in the county, Osprey at Pitsford Reservoir, Northern Wheatear, Dunlin, Ringed Plovers and 8 Stonechats at Hollowell Reservoir, Northern Wheatear, Green Sandpiper, Yellow Wagtail and Grey Partridge at Clifford Hill GP and Glossy Ibis at Summer Leys.
Another very autumnal day to start the new week. Initially when I went out this morning I couldn't see very much as the mist hung in the valley. Shrike hedge area was alive with birds, most notably the presence of over 200 Skylarks. The sight and sound of them flying low across the fields in waves was amazing. The numbers of Meadow Pipits and Linnets had also increased. The 4 Stonechats, Whinchat and Northern were also present as well as small numbers of Siskins and Swallows going over. A much shorter visit to Harrington Airfield was equally productive with the Short Eared Owl again, 2 Stonechats and a Common Redstart. Birds reported today include 2 Rock Pipits and 2 drake Red Crested Pochards at Daventry Reservoir, a first winter Mediterranean Gull at Boddington Reservoir, Osprey at both Hollowell and Pitsford Reservoirs and Glossy Ibis at Summer Leys and Stanford Reservoir.
The Northamptonshire Bird Club will be meeting at the Lodge, Pitsford Water on Wednesday (1st October) at 19.30hrs where the speaker will be Peter Norrie who will be talking about the work of the Stanford Ringing Group. I'm sure that it will be a fascinating evening as they have had an incredible number of warblers caught there in recent weeks and no doubt many of us have been visiting Stanford Reservoir recently trying to catch up with some of the good birds which have turned up there. Everyone is very welcome to come along to the meeting.
Regards Eleanor
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| American Golden Plover at Clifford Hill Pits courtesy of Neil Hasdell. |
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| Ruff at Pitsford Reservoir. |
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| Osprey at Pitsford Reservoir. |
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| Great White Egret at Stortons Pits. Above three images courtesy of Tony Stanford. |
















































