Spotted Flycatchers on the move

Hello

A day of very pleasant temperatures and sunshine, hopefully with some rain towards the latter end of the week.

The Pectoral Sandpiper was again reported from Daventry Country Park this morning.

At Stanford Reservoir today a Common Redstart was caught and ringed and birds noted on-site were seven Common Sandpipers, a Yellow-legged Gull, a Wheatear, fifteen Yellow Wagtails and at least a hundred Cormorants.

Two Great White Egrets, a leucistic Woodpigeon and a Spotted Flycatcher were noted in the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Reservoir late this afternoon.

Two Whinchats and a Common Redstart were at Clifford Hill Pits this morning with later observations of two Wheatears, a Raven and a Stoat. The Earls Barton Pits New Workings was the location of a Glossy Ibis, a Spotted Redshank and three Green Sandpipers. Presumably the same Glossy Ibis was seen flying over Summer Leys LNR earlier in the morning and where also a Marsh Harrier was seen.

A Hobby was seen over Abington Park, Northampton and two Little Ringed Plovers and two Common Sandpipers were at Sywell Country Park.

A Garganey was located at Sulby Reservoir where also a Common Snipe and two Common Sandpipers and nearby at Naseby Reservoir the regular adult Caspian Gull was present plus two Green Sandpipers and six Common Sandpipers.

Spotted Flycatchers are probably at their most numerous now as they move through and linger to fatten up before moving further south - two parties of them were at Castle Ashby Lakes (where also a Kingfisher) and four Spotted Flycatchers were at Woodford Halse LNR. A very large gathering of thirty plus Spotted Flycatchers were at Lamport Hall this evening where also a Common Redstart, a Hobby and two Ravens.

A visit to Harrington Airfield provided two Spotted Flycatchers, three Common Redstarts, a Whinchat, a Wheatear and a Marsh Harrier. Two Common Redstarts and a Whinchat were at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell.

Regards

Neil M

Lesser Whitethroat.

Common Whitethroat.

Spotted Flycatcher Lamport Hall
courtesy of David Smith.