Lovely spring weather

Hello

Spring weather in the county today with high temperatures for the time of the year and plenty of sunshine has brought forth quite a number of butterfly sightings of various species with Brimstones dominating.

At Clifford Hill Pits the drake Lesser Scaup and drake Smew were still present today and at Summer Leys LNR the Glossy Ibis remained faithful with other birds being a Black-tailed Godwit, a Dunlin, a pair of Grey Partridge and at least nine Common Snipe.

The drake Ring-necked Duck was at Kinewell Lake at Ringstead Pits plus a Goosander, but there was no sign of the Red-necked Grebe or Tundra Bean Goose and European White-fronted Geese there or nearby. Three Sand Martins were reported from Thrapston Pits yesterday.

The Red-throated Diver wasn't located at either Hollowell Reservoir or Ravensthorpe Reservoir but the Slavonian Grebe was still at the latter site. Birds for Hollowell Reservoir were an adult Caspian Gull flying through, two Jack Snipe and five Common Snipe.

Thirty-five European White-fronted Geese were in fields at Stanford Hall close to the Percy Pilcher monument.

At Pitsford Reservoir today there were four Pintail, two Ravens and a Siskin in the Walgrave Bay and an adult Yellow-legged Gull, an Oystercatcher and a singing Chiffchaff at the dam-end of the reservoir. Singing singles of Blackcap and Chiffchaff were on the outskirts of Scaldwell village and three singing Chiffchaffs were in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth. A few Siskins were at both Scotland Wood and Kelmarsh Hall with a Raven at the latter.

I've just arrived back from a short tour to south France concentrating on the limestone hills known as Les Apilles and some birding in the Camargue. Some images from this tour are on the Wallcreepers & the Camargue Feb 2026 page on this blog.

Regards

Neil M

Common Gull.

Tufted Ducks courtesy
of John Tilly.

Female Wigeon courtesy
of John Tilly.

Drake Mallard.