Pitsford update

Hi

Birds in the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Res this morning included the juvenile Marsh Harrier which attempted to take young Coots in the margins by Christies Copse. Other birds noted included 2 Ravens over, 2+ Crossbills and a Kingfisher.

A short ringing session included the capture of a juvenile Carrion Crow (please see below).

This morning, at about 7.15am, what was presumably a different juvenile Marsh Harrier was in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

Regards

Neil

Pitsford Portrait

Hi

Some good coverage at Pitsford Res today by several birders produced a few birds of note.  The juvenile Marsh Harrier appeared north of the causeway at 1.45pm and showed on and off during the afternoon, spending much of its time in the Walgrave Bay.  An Osprey arrived at 2.05pm and disappeared some 15 minutes later, mobbed at one stage by the harrier.  The three Red-crested Pochard remain in the Walgrave Bay.  Other birds included 2 Common Sandpipers, 2 Kingfishers, 3 Yellow-legged Gulls and a juvenile Mediterranean Gull.

This evening a single Corn Bunting was located with Yellowhammers in fields in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.  Two Red Kites joined the Common Buzzards in gleaning the harvested oil see rape fields for morsels there.

Below are some images from Pitsford today.  My apologies for the distant shots of the best birds (they wouldn't come any closer)!

Coot in the rain!

Osprey

Greylag Goose

Drake Tufted Duck in eclipse

Marsh Harrier

Marsh Harrier

Common Tern

Mallard with ducklings

Great Crested Grebe

Courtesy of Neil Hasdell

Very low big bird!

Even lower (white tip at the bottom

of the image is a yacht sail)!

Juvenile Mediterranean Gull

Juvenile Mediterranean Gull

Autumn is here!

Hi

This afternoon there was a steady passag of birds moving in to the SW head wind over Hanging Houghton.  An assortment of gulls were perhaps the most obvious, but also with Swifts, Sand Martins and Swallows moving continually in small numbers in the same direction.  It was pleasing to locate a pair of Grey Partridge with 5 half-grown young on Clint Hill at HH.

The increase in gull numbers on the move provided a larger gull roost at Pitsford this evening, the highlights being a 3rd Summer Caspian Gull and a juvenile Mediterranean Gull.

Although dull for much of the day where I was, short sunny periods at Pitsford Res this morning provided the opportunity to watch Essex Skippers, lots of Common and Ruddy Darters and an opportunity for listening to the first of the Roselle's Bush-crickets of the new season.

Regards

A little wander towards the East!

Hi

Eleanor spent some today off her normal patch and saw a few bits and pieces as follows...

First to Twywell Hills and Vales which hosted a juvenile Cuckoo and an adult Turtle Dove.  Then on to Thrapston GP which provided a drake Common Scoter on the Barclaycard Pit, a female Shoveler with three ducklings, 4 Oystercatchers, 2 Common Sandpipers, 2 Hobby, a Kingfisher and a Cetti's Warbler.  Eleanor finished at Stanwick GP and located 2 Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper, 3 Oystercatchers, 13 Little Egrets and 2 more Hobby...

Regards

Neil

All White!

Hi

A few comparable images of some of the 'small white' butterflies available in the county...

Wood White Yardley Chase

Green-veined White Hanging Houghton

Courtesy of Neil Hasdell (Pitsford Res)

CES Ringing at Pitsford

Hi

Under the leadership of Dave Francis, this morning was taken up completing a Constant Effort Site ringing session in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Res.  Nearly 70 birds were captured and released and it was with some relief that we at last saw reasonable numbers of juveniles.  Clearly the week or so of good weather last month was just the tonic to provide an opportunity for later broods of young to succeed.

The juvenile Marsh Harrier put in a couple of brief appearances (in the Scaldwell Bay) at about 7.30am.

Juvenile Kingfisher

Marsh Harrier still...

Hi

Birds at Pitsford Res this morning included a Kingfisher below the dam and a 3rd year Yellow-legged Gull just south of the causeway.  This evening, the juvenile Marsh Harrier was still present north of the causeway.  Between 5.30pm and 7pm it hunted both the Scaldwell and Walgrave Bays, showing a preference for the west bank of the Walgrave Bay (between The Point and Christies Copse).  Other birds present in the Walgrave Bay included a Kingfisher, 3 Red-crested Pochard, a Hobby and ca8 Crossbills.

Regards

Neil

There are birds out there!

Hi

Today quite a number of birds were on show locally, the best perhaps being the juvenile Marsh Harrier at Pitsford Res.  It was seen on and off for about an hour by Neil Hasdell et al, hunting in the Scaldwell and Walgrave Bays from about 11.20am (see record shot below from Neil H).

At Ravensthorpe Res the pair of Red-crested Pochard were showing on the small side visible from the causeway.  At nearby Hollowell Res, raptors included an Osprey and a female Peregrine, and a pair of Raven were on show.  Four Crossbills were in Harlestone Heath in the close vicinity and visible from the garden centre just off the A428.
Regards


Eleanor and Neil

Bits and pieces

Hi

Birds today included a pair of Raven over Lamport Hall this afternoon and a Nuthatch visiting the feeders in our garden (which it has been doing irregularly for the past three weeks now).  A stomp around Harrington Airfield this morning failed to find anything of note and in fact there was no obvious evidence of visible migration.  However the Linnets are flocking up nicely already.  The gull roost at Pitsford is still very small (about 450 birds) and this evening included 3 Yellow-legged Gulls, one of which was a juvenile.  It always amazes me how quickly juvenile birds (big and small) can rapidly cover huge distances shortly after fledging and becoming independent.

On a separate note, today I witnessed my fourth dead Polecat on local roads in four days, all of them probably young animals.  Clearly they are numerous in the county but I have still only managed to see three live ones since they became so.

Neil Hasdell has kindly provided me with some Ruddy Darter images taken at Pitsford today and these can be found towards the bottom of this page.

TTFN

Neil

Pitsford Moths 27th July

Hi

The Pitsford moth team enjoyed a busy morning yesterday with a significant catch from overnight.  Please see below some of the specimens that were captured and identified.  Images are courtesy of Neil Hasdell...

Marsh Harrier

Hi

A juvenile Marsh Harrier was hunting on the west bank of the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Res this morning for a short time (at about 8.30am).  Other birds present in the same area included 2-3 Crossbills briefly, a Spotted Flycatcher, 3 Red-crested Pochard, a Kingfisher and a female Tufted Duck with 2 ducklings.

Regards

N & E

Redstart

Hi

The Redstart at Harrington Airfield was still present today, again in bushes by the first bunker at about 1.30pm.  It was initially vocal and showed itself but then slipped away and hid - so typical of this species on migration.

Regards

E & N

Early birds

Hi

Birds at Sywell CP this morning included 2 Common Sandpipers, 2+ Kingfishers, a family party of Grey Wagtails and ca6 Siskins.  At Pitsford Res this morning, a single Crossbill flew south west over the Walgrave Bay at 8.20am and a Green Sandpiper was heard calling there.

Regards

E & N

Pitsford Gulls

Hi

A very small gull roost has now begun to form off the yacht club at Pitsford Res, which this evening attracted a Caspian Gull (third summer moulting to fourth winter) and 2 Yellow-legged Gulls (1 adult).

Regards

Neil

Harrington

Hi

A trundle around Harrington Airfield this morning provided a female-type Redstart in bushes along the old airstrip, near to the first bunker walking from the enclosed chippings compound, with 2 Turtle Doves flushed from bushes a little further on.  A distant raptor towards Mawsley appeared to be a Marsh Harrier but the heat haze and distance prevented a firm identification.  A Grasshopper Warbler was again singing in the most northerly field at Blueberry Farm.

E  & N

Summer passerines

Hi

Birds noted this morning at Harlestone Heath included  2-3 Crossbills, ca15 Siskins and a couple of Tawny Owls.  Passerines in the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Res this morning included a Crossbill, a Spotted Flycatcher and a singing Reed Warbler which was a particularly excellent mimic and able to copy about a dozen recognisable Western Palearctic species and a couple of African ones too!

TTFN

Eleanor and Neil

Fermyn insects

Hi

This morning we spent some time in the Fermyn CP/Fermyn Wood/Lady Wood/Souther Wood area looking for butterflies and other interesting insects.  Birds were minimal but there was a Kingfisher on the fishing pool in the country park.  Yesterday the Purple Emperors had showed particularly well and apparently they did so again today during the early morning, but then quickly dispersed and became very flighty.  In warm conditions we eventually found a few individuals of the core species as depicted below...

At Pitsford Res this evening there were 2 Common Sandpipers on the dam and 9 Red-crested Pochard in the Walgrave Bay.  Other birds noted north of the causeway included 2 Shelduck, a Grasshopper Warbler, a Red Kite and at least 2 Oystercatchers.

Moorhen

Blue-tailed Damselfly

White Admiral

White Admiral

Purple Hairstreak

Comma

Purple Emperor

Purple Emperor

Silver-washed Fritillary

White-letter Hairstreak

White-letter Hairstreak

Emerald Damselfly

Emperor Dragonfly

Sunny birding!

Hi

A few commitments curtailed birding opportunities today but Eleanor managed to find a pair of Red-legged Partridge with about 6 young in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and the white Common Buzzard was very vocal at Blueberry Farm so may also have a couple of young nearby.  A couple of begging juvenile Common Buzzards in the fields behind our house originate from a different pair.  A pair of Grey Partridge below the village are still without chicks.

A brief stop on the causeway at Ravensthorpe Res late afternoon confirmed the continuing presence still of at least one Red-crested Pochard, with an eclipse drake visible on the small side.  I was surprised to see adult Blue Tits still feeding fledged young, surely a late replacement brood?

A short ringing session yesterday evening in the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford was very modest but included just-fledged Garden Warblers.  A juvenile Willow Warbler exhibited significant fault bars in the tail, a sure sign that it suffered periods of hardship and minimal food as a nestling.

Regards

Neil

Pitsford Pics

Hi

Some images from Pitsford yesterday, courtesy of Neil Hasdell...

A bit of a Common Tern....

A complete Oystercatcher!

Sunday morning walk

Hi

Out and about early this morning with a three hour walk with the dogs around the footpaths connecting Maidwell village, the Dales, Blueberry Hill and then in to the Brampton Valley and up to Hanging Houghton. In general it was pretty quiet with the best birds being both Little and Tawny Owl showing nicely and a couple each of Lesser Whitethroat and Spotted Flycatcher. The bird song has dwindled significantly during the last couple of weeks and the adults of many species are already in the early stages of moult and as a result are hiding themselves away.  Anyway after the early morning heavy dew and even a couple of very light showers, today looks like being a super summer day.  Enjoy!

Neil

Pitsford

Hi

Early this afternoon I popped in to Pitsford Res to fill up the feeders at the Old Scaldwell Road feeding station.  There was a vocal male Redstart in the field hedge that parallels the perimeter fence as you walk towards the Scaldwell Bay (on the LHS) by the very large oak tree.  This is a traditional spot for migrant Redstarts.  The three Oystercatchers were present and there was a loafing flock of 14 Shelduck in the mouth of the Walgrave Bay, no doubt on a short stop-over en-route to Bridgewater Bay where most of the British population moult.

Regards

Neil

Reservoir Dogs!

Hi

Eleanor took a stroll around Sywell CP with the dogs this afternoon (well it was a reservoir once)!

Birds noted included a family party of Kingfishers, 4 Crossbills and 2-3 Siskins.

Visible from the causeway at Ravensthorpe Reservoir this evening was a pair of Red-crested Pochard in eclipse plumage, a drake Wigeon also in eclipse, a female Shelduck and a family party of Spotted Flycatchers.  Sadly a large Grass Snake lay dead in the road there.

Regards

Neil

Bits and Bobs

Hi

Yesterday afternoon there was a single Crossbill flying around at Hanging Houghton before moving off south east.  Amazingly a female Pheasant was chaperoning 6 half-grown youngsters below the village (I do not know how she has managed it in these weather conditions).

This morning the white Common Buzzard was still at Blueberry Farm plus a pair of Grey Partridge (no young sadly).

This afternoon a walk around Pitsford Res south of the causeway included a couple of movers in the shape of a Common Gull and 4 Common Sandpipers.  There were new Coot and Mallard broods noted too.

Regards

N & E

More Pitsford moths!

Hi

The Pitsford moth team were busy again this morning and some spectacular moths were caught overnight.  Please see a few of them below...

I had a quick scan for birds from the feeding station at Pitsford late morning.  The best was the Goldeneye still, a successfully fledged juvenile Common Tern and the two adult Oystercatchers with just one well-grown youngster.  I don't know what happened to the second youngster but it clearly isn't around any more unfortunately.  A rare bird for Pitsford this year was a singing Sedge Warbler not far from the Maytrees Hide!

Happy Birding!

Neil

Leopard

Elephant Hawk-Moth and Burnished Brass

Elephant Hawk-Moth warming up

Light Emerald

Privet Hawk-Moth