Redstarts, ducks and erm a Shag

Hello

This morning I took a walk along the footpath that runs between Walgrave village and Pitsford Reservoir, commencing at Bridle Road Old village and walking east. I was hoping to encounter Common Redstarts at this traditional stop-over site and in due course found four. I spent some time trying to obtain photographic views of two adult males but they were particularly skulking and no photos obtained! A first year male by a small horse paddock and a flighty female were a little easier but didn't permit a close approach.

Next was Pitsford Reservoir which initially seemed quiet but a period of time in the Bird Club Hide overlooking the Scaldwell Bay provided a surprise in the shape of a juvenile Shag which swam past the hide and then out into open water. Two Great White Egrets were present as was an adult Green Sandpiper, two Hobbies and later a Garganey was on show. Other birds of interest included a colour ringed Black-headed Gull and a female Pochard with a nasal saddle - hopefully details of their origin will become known soon! The best of the butterflies were Small Heath and Small Copper.

In the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton there was another Common Redstart, two Whinchats and a Wheatear and another Common Redstart was found at Twywell Hills and Dales in a hedgerow towards Twywell village.

A first year Mediterranean Gull was within a gull flock near Denton this morning and the Summer Leys LNR hosted a juvenile Black Tern, three Great White Egrets, three Greenshanks, a Ruff, two Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper and a Hobby. A Wheatear was at Chelveston Airfield.

This evening the juvenile Shag reappeared at Pitsford Reservoir but this time off the dam before disappearing again. Other birds included between four and six Yellow-legged Gulls, a juvenile Arctic Tern and a Peregrine.

Regards

Neil M

First year male Common Redstart 
Walgrave/Old footpath.

Great Crested Grebes
Pitsford Reservoir.

Female Pochard
Pitsford Reservoir.

Black-headed Gulls in field
adjacent to Pitsford Reservoir
where juvenile Red Kites were
also attracted to the topsoil being
turned by agricultural machinery.

Red Kite.

Juvenile Shag
Pitsford Reservoir.

Pitsford Wildlife

 Hello

An early morning foray to Harrington Airfield today but it was a case of just walking really as the passerines kept low in the strong southerly wind! A juvenile Marsh Harrier immediately made it's presence known as it swept across the top fields and very slowly filtered south into the wind, using the blustery conditions to hunt the field edges as it slowly disappeared towards Lamport. A couple of Ravens and an Osprey similarly had no problem countering the conditions as they moved over the old airfield. An adult Yellow-legged Gull was present and what I suspect is the original Common Redstart was heard calling from bushes between the Chippings Compound and Bunker One.

Pitsford Reservoir today provided views of a Great White Egret, two Garganey, a juvenile Mediterranean Gull, two adult Yellow-legged Gulls, a Hobby, two Green Sandpipers. several Swifts and good numbers of House Martins - most of these birds were noted in the Scaldwell Bay.

At Summer Leys LNR observers notched up a Ruff, a Common Sandpiper and two Great White Egrets and Pied Flycatchers appeared at private sites at Chapel Brampton and Denton Wood - neither afford general public access. Two Whinchats and a Wheatear at Borough Hill Country Park were probably left-overs from yesterday and a Turtle Dove was at another withheld location.

A flock of Yellow Wagtails remain with us at Hanging Houghton, most of the time in the grazing fields with cattle but regularly visiting the lawns in adjacent larger gardens. It is likely that there is a constant flow of birds moving through and so far the maximum flock size has been ten birds but they have to watch out for the regular forays from hunting Sparrowhawks and Hobby that patrol the village daily.

Regards

Neil M

Great Crested Grebe
courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Red Fox courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Brimstone moth
courtesy of Dave Jackson.

Canary-shouldered Thorn
courtesy of Dave Jackson.

Little Grebe
courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Passage passerines

 Hello

With the weather conditions of the last two days including the heavy rain of yesterday and the anticipated sunny weather with a strong southerly breeze, it seemed as if today should produce plenty of interesting passerine migrants. With this is mind I went over to a place I seldom visit these days, Borough Hill Country Park at Daventry. It has to be said that I've predicted 'falls' of migrants on previous days and it hasn't come to much but as I drove into the car park just at 6am this morning and opened the door to hear multiple calls of Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler in a nearby hedge I sensed that I had guessed right this time.

It took me almost an hour to walk slowly south hugging the western hedgeline to cover little more than 300 metres, the numbers of phylloscopus warblers, Lesser and Common Whitethroats and other small birds meant it had to be a methodical process as I didn't want to miss something good! As I reached the southern slope the first Tree Pipit called overhead and continued south and a bird sallied out from the bushes and there was a loud snap of the bill - classic flycatcher behaviour. However I had to wait a good ten minutes before the Pied Flycatcher showed itself again, provided a brief photo opportunity and then disappeared back into the constantly foraging flock of birds.

Juvenile Common Whitethroats were everywhere and possibly outnumbered the Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs. Turning my attention to the more open area, three Whinchats posed nicely on the south-facing rough field but a scan up to the summit proved there to be more birds there. I strode up the gradual incline and another Tree Pipit, a couple of Meadow Pipits and some flushed moulting Skylarks were next. On the brambles were six more Whinchats including an adult male. I then walked in an anti-clockwise direction, finding a Common Redstart and a party of four Spotted Flycatchers in bushes further to the east. Two more Tree Pipits called as they flew over south and more common warblers and Nuthatches were calling from the belt of mature trees

The most easterly hawthorn hedge that traverses the hill is frequently good at attracting interesting birds but today it was quiet. I tried the hedges on the north side next but already the birds were becoming more difficult to see and really I was only finding more common warblers and now butterflies which included Red Admiral and Painted Lady. By the time I was back at the car park it was gone 9am and I needed some liquid refreshment!

In the meantime Eleanor was scouring the fields and hedges of Blueberry Farm and the valley bottom between there and the Brampton Valley Way below Hanging Houghton. Again exciting pulses of birds worked the traditional hedges with lots of common warblers plus three Common Redstarts, at least two Spotted Flycatchers, a Tree Pipit, a Wheatear and two Whinchats. The juvenile Marsh Harrier was still present and finches included four Crossbills and a Siskin over. Several Clouded Yellow butterflies were still on the nectar crop strips.

My next venue was the Woodland Trust reserve of Kentle Wood on the outskirts of Daventry. Rarely visited by birders, this area of scrub and young trees sits on an edge of an escarpment with sweeping views to the west. Lots of large gulls and corvids were the most obvious birds all around but here also there were warblers, mostly hidden in the trees. On my walk around at least two Crossbills overflew the wood and Southern and Migrant Hawkers hunted the plentiful rides. I couldn't help but think what would be found if the rides had mist nets erected in them!

I next visited Cotton End Park at Long Buckby where a pleasant walk through the orchard and meadow led me to the pond at the bottom which is good for odonata. I didn't see anything unusual but enjoyed watching Common Darters, Emerald Damselflies and singles of Blue Emperor and Brown Hawker regularly tussling with each other!

In the meantime Eleanor checked out the regular stop-over site for Common Redstarts which is the footpath that runs on a ridge between Pitsford Reservoir and the villages of Old and Walgrave. Two field hedges in particular prove attractive and today at least four were present which included two adult males together. The easiest access is from Bridle Road, Old where the footpath is well signed. Other birds included a Whinchat and two Spotted Flycatchers.

On my way home I stopped at Ravensthorpe Reservoir and walked around. Large numbers of Migrant Hawkers and Ruddy Darters were active in the strong sunshine. The summering Pink-footed Goose which this year has been at Clifford Hill Pits, Pitsford Reservoir and Hollowell Reservoir was on the dam with Greylags and provided very good photographic opportunities. Gulls were constantly flying in and out and at one stage a juvenile Mediterranean Gull came in to bathe. Other birds included a Spotted Flycatcher, a group of six Grey Wagtails, three Ravens and a Hobby.

A quick foray around the border hedges of Lamport Hall on the south side provided views of a male Common Redstart and two Spotted Flycatchers.

Elsewhere today and other observers noted singles of Ruff and Common and Green Sandpipers at Clifford Hill Pits first thing, a Clouded Yellow butterfly at Yardley Chase, two Great White Egrets and a Green Sandpiper in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir and at Stanwick Pits there were two Great White Egrets, two Green Sandpipers and three Common Sandpipers. A Peregrine was over Westbridge, Northampton today and a Wheatear was an additional find at Borough Hill CP this afternoon, and a Common Redstart may have been a second bird. Another Wheatear was found in a sheep field adjacent to Hellidon Golf Course this afternoon.

Phew and there is still time to find something else!

Regards

Neil M

Willow Warbler Borough Hill.

Willow Warbler meets Chiffchaff
Borough Hill!

Pied Flycatcher
Borough Hill.

Red Admiral
Borough Hill.

Common Darter
Cotton End Park.

Emerald Damselfly
Cotton End Park.

Eclipse drake Mallard
Ravensthorpe Reservoir.

Pink-footed Goose
Ravensthorpe Reservoir.

Ruddy Darter
Ravensthorpe Reservoir.

A rainy day...

 Hello

A tour of Harrington Airfield this morning was in order to beat the incoming rain and at least three Common Redstarts were present. The easiest one to see was an adult male at Bunker One which was visiting the isolated elderberry bushes and plucking a couple of berries. Small numbers of common warblers were in the bushes but we didn't see much else of note.

Back at Hanging Houghton a Tree Pipit and several Yellow Wagtails made their presence known just prior to the first of the rain and Eleanor's visit to the dam at Pitsford Reservoir late morning provided a single Wheatear, a Hobby, two Grey Wagtails and two Common Sandpipers.

An Osprey and two Egyptian Geese were seen at Hollowell Reservoir this morning and there were a further two Common Redstarts and at least two Spotted Flycatchers along the Brampton Valley Way near Draughton Crossing.

Hardwater Lake at Earls Barton Pits this morning hosted a Snipe, a Ruff, three Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper, two Greenshanks (one not well) and two Little Ringed Plovers.

Regards

Neil M

Female Bullfinch.

Lesser Whitethroat.

Migrant Hawker.

Red Kite. The adults look
pretty tatty at this time of
the year as they replace their
wing and tail feathers.

All images from yesterday at Brixworth.

Warblers and more...

 Hello

Yesterday (Monday) and a succession of birders to Harrington Airfield provided records of two Whinchats (not seen later in the day), two Common Redstarts and a Clouded Yellow butterfly. Birds at nearby Hanging Houghton included a Raven and ten Yellow Wagtails. 

Pitsford Reservoir continues to be interesting and the water level has dropped quite considerably during the last week. Yesterday's birds included an Osprey, three Great White Egrets, four Red-crested Pochard, a Goldeneye and two Green Sandpipers to the north of the causeway and the dam area provided three Black Terns which stayed briefly in the evening plus two Yellow-legged Gulls, three Common Sandpipers, a Ringed Plover and a Dunlin (the latter which was still present today).

Today (Tuesday) and last minute ringing sessions at Stortons Pits and Brixworth Water Treatment Works provided a nice selection of warblers. Ringers were anxious to process the warblers before they disappear and the weather forecast for the coming week does not look good for mist netting so it had to be today! Stortons provided over thirty birds which included a Cetti's Warbler, a Lesser Whitethroat, seven Common Whitethroats, six Blackcaps and three Sedge Warblers.

Just over forty birds landed in the mist nets at Brixworth made up of a Kingfisher, a Grey Wagtail, three Lesser Whitethroats, four Common Whitethroats, six Blackcaps, two Sedge Warblers, a Reed Warbler, a Willow Warbler and four Chiffchaffs. Birds seen on-site or overhead included two Tree Pipits, two Ravens, eight Snipe, a Hobby, at least four Grey Wagtails and another Kingfisher.

Birds seen in the county today included four Cattle Egrets and a Green Sandpiper at Stanwick Pits, a Green Sandpiper, two Ruff and four Wheatears at Clifford Hill Pits, a possible Osprey at Fawsley Park, a Spotted Flycatcher at Upton Country Park and a Black Tern at Hollowell Reservoir. A Tree Pipit was caught and ringed today in the Rockingham Forest (Shire Hill Wood complex).                           .

Insects today included two Clouded Yellows in the nectar crop strip in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and a Painted Lady in the Fishing Lodge car park at Pitsford Reservoir (scarce this year).

Regards

Neil M

Blackcap.

Lesser Whitethroat.

Sedge Warblers.

Head shots of three
Kingfishers caught and
ringed at Greens Norton
recently...

All images courtesy of
Chris Payne.

A few more from the Ardnamurchan...

 Hello

A few more images from the Naturetrek tour to the Ardnamurchan Peninsular, West Highlands which concluded at the week-end...

Regards

Neil M

Bottle-nosed Dolphin.

Kittiwake.

Juvenile Meadow Pipit sunbathing.

Red Deer.

Juvenile Robin.

Scotch Argus.

The wonderful Ardnamurchan Otters!

Wildlife of the Ardnamurchan

Hello

I have just returned from an eight day Naturetrek tour of the Ardnamurchan Peninsular in the West Highlands of Scotland. The weather was ridiculously warm and sunny but despite the Covid-19 restrictions the small group were successful in their quest to locate the wildlife highlights in this very special area. A few images from this trip are as follows...

Regards

Neil M

Common Porpoise.

Common Seals.

Dark Green Fritillary.

Goosanders.

Grayling.

Manx Shearwater.

Razorbill and chick.

Guillemot and chick.

Pine Marten.

Peacock.