A bit of movement

This is definitely my favourite time of year.  I love the myriad of colours, the bare fields following harvest,  sunshine,  blue skies,  the temperatures and of course just being out and about enjoying everything that this time of year offers.  However it is also interesting to watch other people and wonder how on earth they can be oblivious to the world around them.  But it's their loss.

I was out early as usual and said "good morning " to two Whinchats near shrike hedge before loitering at Gamboro plantation which was quite busy with birds.  Many times I have stood there and struggled to see or hear anything but this morning there were at least 4 Crossbills and 2 Siskins present plus a few Nuthatches and the resident woodland birds.   My next stop was Blueberry area where a gorgeous male Common Redstart was in his favourite hedge.   Two Golden Plovers and a Peregrine flew over and there were good numbers of Skylarks and Meadow Pipits in the fields.   I did visit shrike hedge/blueberry again this afternoon and it was much quieter. Infact I saw very little of note until I got back to my car and found a Northern Wheatear sitting next to it.                                I managed a sneaky visit to Lamport Hall whilst the tea was cooking and there was quite a large flock of tits/finches and warblers (mainly Chiffchaffs) moving along the hedge plus 4 Spotted Flycatchers and a Common Redstart. 

Neil visited Harrington Airfield this morning and had Grey Wagtail and Golden Plover flying over plus a good passage of Meadow Pipits.  He noted that there has been a big release of Pheasants,  RL Partridges and Mallards ahead of the shooting season.        He also spent some time at Pitsford Reservoir which is looking very good at the moment we are keeping our fingers crossed for a goodie. Meanwhile he had to be satisfied with 5 Egyptian Geese,  Dunlin,  2 Yellow Legged Gulls,  Siskin and Grey Wagtail at the dam and north of the causeway,  21 Ringed Plovers,  3 Dunlin, 10 Pintail, 8 Great White Egrets,  Greenshank,  Yellow Legged and Caspian Gull. 

Other birds reported today include 7 Pink Footed Geese in flight over Byfield early morning,  a Greenshank and 2 Common Sandpipers at Stanford,  Turnstone,  Ringed Plovers and Black Tailed Godwits at Daventry Reservoir and the juvenile Osprey remains at the New Workings Earls Barton GP. 

Just out of the county Kenny Cramer held a ringing session at Milton Keynes where 111 birds were processed.  11 species represented and 98 were newly ringed which would suggest that migration is still very much happening.  Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs were the dominant species with 34 and 23 respectively. Other warblers included 6 Reed Warblers and 2 Sedge Warblers.        However star birds of the day were two Meadow Pipits which were the first ones of the season. 

Regards Eleanor 

Meadow Pipit courtesy of Kenny Cramer