A week-end of ringing and migration

Hello

My apologies for no blog entry yesterday, computer issues!

Bird ringing operations continued apace at Stanford Reservoir over the week-end and amongst many migrants processed the highlights were a Wryneck yesterday and a Tree Pipit today.

Yesterday (Saturday) and some ringing at Harrington Airfield provided eighty-eight captures with perhaps the highlights being a first year Grasshopper Warbler and six Lesser Whitethroats. Other warblers were four Willow Warblers, thirty Blackcaps, ten Common Whitethroats and a Reed Warbler. A juvenile House Sparrow was the first of this species to be ringed at this site and other birds were sixteen Linnets and six Yellowhammers. A Tree Pipit flew south at 6am and two Common Redstarts were heard calling but evaded the mist nets.

Today (Sunday) and some ringing at Brixworth Water Treatment Works provided one hundred and eight captures which included a smart first year male Common Redstart, two Song Thrushes, eight Chiffchaffs, two Willow Warblers (including an adult seemingly of the northern race 'acredula'), a Garden Warbler, twenty Blackcaps, eleven Common Whitethroats, two Sedge Warblers, a Reed Warbler, a Grey Wagtail and eleven Goldfinches.

Birding-wise the Pectoral Sandpiper was still at Daventry Country Park today where a Spotted Redshank was also located.

At Stanford Reservoir the Ferruginous Duck was seen again and other birds were two juvenile Water Rails, four Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper, two Kingfishers, a Spotted Flycatcher, a Common Redstart and ten Yellow Wagtails.

Hollowell Reservoir attracted an Osprey, a Ringed Plover, three Dunlin, a Greenshank, three Common Sandpipers and five Common Snipe.

At Clifford Hill Pits there was a Common Redstart, four Little Ringed Plovers, three or four Common Sandpipers, seven Common Snipe and forty-eight Yellow Wagtails, and two Marsh Harriers were seen at Summer Leys LNR.

Three Yellow-legged Gulls, a Water Rail and a Common Snipe were at Priory Hall Lake, Corby.

At least a dozen Spotted Flycatchers and a male Common Redstart were at Lamport Hall today.

Family parties of Hobby were at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell and Harlestone/Nobottle.

Regards

Neil M

Common Redstart at Brixworth today
courtesy of Sean Gower.

Grasshopper Warbler yesterday courtesy
of Freddy Try.

Drinker moth.