Northants Ringing Group in action

Hello

A very busy twenty-four hours for the Northants Ringing Group with several locations and techniques employed to process both resident and migrant birds.

Kenny and his team have continued with efforts at catching birds coming to roost at Linford Lakes the last two evenings, successfully ringing seventy-five Swallows, a Sand Martin and two Yellow Wagtails.

Ringers operating at Stortons Pits today managed one hundred and ten birds of fifteen species which included fourteen Chiffchaffs, thirty-four Blackcaps, five new Robins, five Cetti's Warblers, a Reed Warbler, two Song Thrushes, three Goldfinches and singles of Goldcrest and Treecreeper.

A ringing demonstration took place at Pitsford Reservoir as arranged with the Peterborough Bird Club and yielded forty-nine captures with the star birds being eighteen Meadow Pipits, seven Reed Buntings and a male Stonechat. In addition we enjoyed the presence of six year old Hannah who subsequently went home and drew a Blue Tit (please see below)!

In addition some late season next box visits provided four Barn Owls and a Stock Dove.

General birding today provided a Barn Owl between East Haddon and Holdenby, a Wheatear and two Whinchats at Harrington Airfield, a Grey Wagtail in Hanging Houghton village and two more in the Brampton Valley below the village.

Birds north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir included a Ruff, six Ringed Plovers, a Little Ringed Plover and at least two Yellow-legged Gulls and three Grey Wagtails passed over.

A Bittern was seen at Stanford Reservoir where also twelve Little Egrets and eighteen Pochard and Hollowell Reservoir's sightings were eight Ringed Plovers and three Dunlin.

The Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits provided two Marsh Harriers, a Ruff, a Green Sandpiper, two Common Snipe and a Common Sandpiper and Clifford Hill Pits hosted eight Barnacle Geese, two Great White Egrets, a Water Rail, two Common Snipe, a Common Sandpiper and rather late individuals of Common Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat.

The Osprey was again in the Nene Valley at Whiston Wetlands/Earls Barton New Workings.

Regards

Neil M

Blue Tit by Hannah Reith 6 years.

Ringing station at Pitsford Reservoir.

First year male Stonechat
courtesy of Sean Gower.

Nestling Stock Dove.

Meadow Pipit courtesy
of Jane Neill.

Barn Owl.