Quality birds in the Nene Valley

Hello

The Summer Leys reserve at Earls Barton Pits was the place today with the discovery of an adult White-winged (Black) Tern this morning and then subsequently three Spotted Redshanks followed by a Bittern, the Glossy Ibis again and a showy Hobby! Other birds were two Egyptian Geese, a Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper, a few Common Snipe and a Common Sandpiper.

Two Common Redstarts were on show at Lamport Hall this morning where also a couple of Spotted Flycatchers and with Raven and Little Owl at Hanging Houghton. A hunting Common Buzzard in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth was seen to catch a large rat this afternoon.

At Pitsford Reservoir today there was an Osprey north of the causeway plus four or five Greenshank, a Green Sandpiper, two Common Sandpipers and three Spotted Flycatchers.

The female Ferruginous Duck was again at Stanford Reservoir and the female Ruddy Shelduck at Hollowell Reservoir where also an Osprey, a Peregrine, a Little Ringed Plover, a Dunlin, a Common Sandpiper and two Greenshanks. 

Naseby Reservoir again hosted the adult Caspian Gull, four Green Sandpipers and two Common Sandpipers with an adult Yellow-legged Gull at Ravensthorpe Reservoir and two Green Sandpipers.

The Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits continued to host a Wood Sandpiper, two Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper, a Greenshank and a Common Snipe.

Clifford Hill Pits early this morning provided views of four Cattle Egrets, two juvenile Black Terns, a Water Rail and a Common Sandpiper.

A Whinchat was noted at Bunker Three Harrington Airfield where also Grey Partridges were encountered.

In the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton, migrants included two Whinchats, a Wheatear and a Common Redstart around shrike hedge, with three Common Redstarts at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell and where also two Spotted Flycatchers and a Whinchat. A family party of Hobby were in the general area (four flying juveniles), as was a juvenile Marsh Harrier and an increase in Yellow Wagtails and Meadow Pipits.

The footpath south of Old, Cherry Hill and Walgrave provided three or four Common Redstarts in the hedges and perhaps fifteen Clouded Yellow butterflies in the fields of purple lucerne.

A juvenile Marsh Harrier was in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton again this evening.

Regards

Neil M

Adult White-winged (Black) Tern at
Summer Leys LNR today
courtesy of Tyler Atkinson.

Juvenile Black Terns at
Clifford Hill Pits courtesy
of Tyler Atkinson.

Green Sandpiper Pitsford Reservoir
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Greenshank at Pitsford Reservoir
courtesy of Tony Stanford.