Last Day on Skokholm

Hello

Still breezy on Skokholm today but very sunny and warm, this being our last full day on the island.  Some early morning ringing produced a mixture of birds including Manx Shearwater, Herring Gull, Jackdaw and a couple of Rock Pipits.

Plenty of butterflies and day-flying moths on the wing today, with rather more Silver Y moths than we had noticed before.

However despite various walks around the island no obvious new bird migrants were located.

Regards

Neil H and Neil M

 

Juvenile Lesser

Black-backed Gull

 

Slow Worm

 

Manx Shearwater nestling

Stormy Skokholm!

Hello

A big change in the weather here on Skokholm today, hence why a blog at this time!  Strong winds and horizontal rain has islanders scuttling for shelter.  Sea-watching has been a rather damp and difficult affair and to date only common sea-birds have been noted, albeit in impressive numbers and close.

Last night we worked on catching Storm Petrels again, finishing at about 2.30am.  Working as a team with mist net extractors, ringers and recorders , we managed to catch just over a hundred birds, with just a few recaptured birds from the previous session.

The below images were taken on Skokholm in the sunshine yesterday...

Regards

Neil H and Neil M




 

Fulmar

 

Juvenile Herring Gull

(exceptionally white upper

tail for this species at this age)

 

Chough

 

Juvenile Great

Black-backed Gull

 

 

Adult Great

Black-backed Gull

 

Two big influences on

Skokholm - Rabbit and

Ragwort

 

Juvenile Raven

Early Morning Egret Encounter !!

I was up at dawn today and decided to walk around the big side of Pitsford Reservoir, before it got too busy with runners and cyclists. It was a lovely morning and to my surprise between the causeway and catwalk bay I could see 5 Little Egret and their larger companion the Great White Egret !!  Goodness knows where that has been hiding as it is the first time I've managed to see this bird.  There were also 2 Little Egret tucked in the back of grange bay and a further single bird in the yatch bay, so there could be as many as 8 Little Egret on the big side.  
Other birds of note were 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper and a Ringed Plover.
Good numbers of wildfowl building up, notably Tufted Duck and Gadwall.......just in time for the pending Webs Count, oh joy !!

Regards Eleanor

Friday Flocks

Today was spent birding the easy way by watching a couple of large flocks of passerines as they moved through the bushes and hedgerows.
As I arrived at Harrington Airfield, in between showers, It was soon apparent that the bushes were alive ! I simply started at the main entrance and followed a large group of passerines as they "bush" hopped along the track.  There was a good mixture of species, ages and plumage.  I lost count how many Willow Warblers and Whitethroats were present, which suggested a "fall"  due to the weather conditions. A high proportion of the flock were Reed Buntings, Goldfinches, Greenfinch, Linnet and Blue Tit, but also notable were at least 8 Blackbirds.  Other birds of note in the flock were a Redstart and 2+ Lesser Whitethroat.
A "cream crown" Marsh Harrier was again west of the track, a Turtle Dove flying around, and a single Curlew passing over calling.
My second flock was this evening in the valley below Hanging Houghton. There is a particular hedge which we have discovered over the years is attractive to birds on the move. Well I could hear them long before I could see them !!! Long Tailed Tits which were leading the way along the hedge.  This flock was very different to the Harrington flock and consisted of mainly Blue, Great and Long Tailed Tits, but there were also good numbers of Whitethroat and Willow Warbler. This bird flock was well in excess of 60 individuals and as I watched they just kept coming and coming !!  And you just never know what might be mixed in and tonight there was a Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher, Garden Warbler and 2 Whinchat.

Regards  Eleanor

Skokholm Sunshine

Hello

Today's weather on Skokholm was initially grey and windy but then changed to glorious sunshine and blue skies.  A small fall of birds occurred this morning with a notable increase in Willow Warblers plus one or two other passerines including a Spotted Flycatcher.  Waders are thin on the ground but Curlew and Whimbrel continue to pass through and loiter in small numbers and a Turnstone was new this morning. 

After ringing for much of the morning we decided on a walk around the island which was particularly pleasant.  Plenty of insects about included still large numbers of Small Copper butterfies and much smaller numbers of Red Admiral, Painted Lady and Peacock.

Pods of Common Dolphin have been seen off the island for three consecutive days now, the diving Gannets giving away their position to island-based observers.  Sea-watching produced impressive numbers of Gannets and Kittiwakes plus a Mediterranean Gull.

Three pairs of Chough live on the island, any sighting normally preceded by their sneezing but explosive 'Cheow' call as they career past, displaying impossibly bright red bills and legs, glossy feather sheen and fingered round-edged wings.

My thanks to Helen Harding for the below images taken around the island during the last two days...

Neil M

 

Close-up views of the head

and eye of an adult

Lesser Black-backed Gull

 

Wren

 

Various views on Skokholm

Mid week round up

Apologies for late news, but this has been due to unforeseen circumstances.
Wednesday's birding was confined to Harrington Airfield where a single "cream crown" Marsh Harrier, again west of the main track, was seen, and the only other bird of note being a Turtle Dove,
On Thursday I managed to fit in quite a bit of birding.  First visit was Harrington Airfield where a "cream crown" Marsh Harrier was seen on and off between 07.00hrs and 08.00hrs, again favouring the are west of the main track. Two Crossbills flew over.
I decided to run around the big side at Pitsford Reservoir, something which I haven't done for a while. A quick scan around from the causeway before I set off produced an Osprey, Little Egret and Common Sandpiper.  The only birds I saw on my run round were two more Little Egret.  The water level is slowly dropping leaving a few muddy margins exposed.  A look from the feeding station produced a Common Sandpiper and a Goldeneye.
The afternoon was spent in the Blueberry/ Valley between Hanging Houghton and Cottesbrooke.  It was another one of those sunny and breezy afternoons, loved by myself and also by the raptors and corvids.  As I sat at the top of Blueberry Hill I easily counted double figures of Common Buzzards, a Red Kite, Hobby and a party of 5 Ravens came over, making all kinds of weird and wonderful noises. 
In the valley area were at least 6 Whinchat in their favourite corner of the field as well as a singing Grasshopper Warbler.
As I approached the car I noted a raptor flying parallel with me, it was a "cream crown" Marsh Harrier !!. As I watched it quartering the wheat fields I picked up another 2 raptors with it, another "cream crown" Marsh Harrier and a Red Kite.  They made such a stunning sight and I count myself very lucky to have witnessed this, I do wonder if these Marsh Harriers are the "Harrington" birds, as it wouldn't take them long to move around between these two sites.

Regards   Eleanor

Nocturnal activity on Skokholm

Hello

Yesterday was something of a slow day on Skokholm for migration albeit that some drizzle in the morning provided some visible migration of both Curlew and Whimbrel.

During the sunny periods, large numbers of Small Copper butterflies whizzed around the sea of Ragwort and there were plenty of Red Admirals and small numbers of Meadow Browns and 'whites'.  Checking some building debris turned up about 20 Slow Worms including some particularly large individuals.

Bird sightings included Common Buzzard, Peregrine, Raven and Chough with Swallow, Sedge Warbler, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit and Wren all still feeding young on the island.

Just after 10pm we went out to locate and ring Manx Shearwaters along a transect line, finishing at about 4.30am this morning.  One hundred and twelve birds were captured and processed, and with our hands adorned with cuts and scratches we finally turned in at 5am.

As such our day today was somewhat shorter, but a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull located amongst the loafing Lesser Black-backed Gulls was locally a good find and potentially only the second record for the island.  Sea-watching produced a couple of Bonxies, auks and passing Kittiwakes, with the 'snow-capped' island of Grassholm (covered in thousands of Gannets) glistening in the distance.

Regards

Neil M and Neil H

Skokholm continued...

Hello

Still on Skokholm and yesterday afternoon we had a go at trying to trap passerines using fixed spring traps set on the ground.  We enjoyed some success and managed to catch and ring three Wheatears and a Rock Pipit.

Later that night we ganged up with others on the island to try and catch some Storm Petrels.  We started to catch them from about 11.15pm with a steady effort through the early hours culminating in just over 30 birds caught and ringed.  These miniature travellers of the waves are just wonderful little creatures with an ultra soft velvety texture to the feathers, spindly black flattened legs and entertaining vocabulary something akin to Sooty and Sweep arguing or laughing between themselves (my apologies if you are too young to know who Sooty and Sweep were/are)!

We finally found our beds at about 3am this morning and 'slept in' until 7am before committing to more diurnal birding activity!

Regards

Neil M and Neil H

 

Wheatear

 

Rock Pipit

Quiet Times

Although I have visited both Blueberry and Harrington Airfield several times during the day I have not seen many birds, and indeed at one point it felt as if "they had all moved on".  My only bird at Harrington Airfield was a Red Kite, despite walking around for hours.
Blueberry area produced 6 Whinchats, Barn, Tawny + Little Owl, and an Osprey.
That's birding ! .....but tomorrow is a whole new day.

Regards Eleanor

Skokholm

Hello

Yesterday Neil H and I managed to travel by boat to the picturesque island of Skokholm off the Pembrokeshire coast.  Despite a keen north-westerly breeze the crossing was pleasant with birds en-route including close Gannet and Kittiwake.

Prior to our boat trip we trotted around the single track lanes near Marloes.  Birds included Common Buzzard, Raven, Wheatear and small numbers of warblers, and there were plenty of butterflies on the wing including plenty of Red Admirals, a few Painted Ladies and several Wall Browns.

On Skokholm we were greeted by a small 'herd' of Grey Seals and the clamour of hundreds of pairs of Lesser Black-backed Gulls. 

After a welcome cup of tea and briefing, we set about exploring the island and sorting out our ringing regime.  Mummified Manx Shearwater corpses littered the paths, once victims of gull predation as they endeavoured to find their nesting burrows.  Over 40,000 pairs of Manx Shearwaters are estimated to breed on the island, each night running the gauntlet of the gulls as they come ashore.

A wander around the island in warm sunny weather provided views of Puffin (just a few left), Raven, Chough, Fulmar, Rock Pipit, Wheatear and Peregrine and there were hundreds and hundreds of Rabbits!

Overnight we wandered a transect route across the island seeking Manx Shearwaters.  As it became darker and the meteor shower overhead became even more vibrant and regular, Manx Shearwaters began emitting their bizarre song of gurgles and banshee hollering.  We began catching and ringing these fabulous tubenoses and over the process of about three and half hours Neil H and I managed to catch 42.  Like all sea-birds, they are strong with sharp claws and surprisingly sharp hooked beaks.  Our night-time adventure ceased at about 4am when it was time for a couple of hours kip and then up to do some passerine ringing.

This morning we caught a few small birds and then set a trap for large gulls.  This resulted in the capture of 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 3 Herring Gulls and their far-reaching and sharp rendering beaks!

New migrants seemed minimal but did include a couple of Green Sandpipers flying around, and a smart Slow Worm was greatly admired.  Warm conditions have resulted in large numbers of immigrant insects including droves of Red Admirals and supporting cast.

Regards

Neil M

 

Red Admiral

 

Wall Brown

 

 

Grey Seal

 

Small Copper

 

Black and ginger rabbit!

 

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Monday Musings

Despite a day of running errands and walking the dogs I managed to enjoy some good birding.
My first visit to Blueberry area produced 2 Whinchat and a Grasshopper Warbler, whereas this evening, along with a dramatic sunset it produced at least 6 Whinchats, Hobby, Barn Owl and I presume the same Osprey at 20.00hrs.
A visit to Pitsford Reservoir late morning provided some entertainment in the form of a family party of Common Buzzards who were very noisy and very funny to watch as they balanced precariously on the hay bales below the dam. They were clearly enjoying themselves whilst learning valuable life skills.
On the causeway there were 2 Common Sandpipers and sitting amongst the wildfowl in the Scaldwell arm was a Goldeneye and 2 female Red Crested Pochard.
On a brief visit to Sywell Reservoir there was a Common Sandpiper, Red Kite and Grey Wagtail.  I did note that the Great Crested Grebes appear to have done very well there, with several broods of at least 4 well grown young.
Of course I couldn't keep away from Harrington Airfield and late this afternoon I took the dogs for a long walk, covering as much of the area as I could. It was quite breezy and the sky grey and threatening, but this didn't deter the two "cream crown" Marsh Harriers who again frequented the area between the pond and the Brampton Valley way. I first saw them at 17.30hrs and watched them from the footpath which leads from Draughton Village and runs parallel with the main track and eventually joins the main track.   There was a Redstart in the field hedge near the pond, and at least 2 young Little Grebe on the pond.

Regards   Eleanor

Birds of the West Country

Hello

With Eleanor firmly ensconced in Northants, Neil H and I drove west, initially to the Symonds Yat viewpoint in Gloucestershire.  Here we were treated to seven species of raptor in less than three hours scanning.  Best of the bunch was an adult Honey Buzzard with an adult female Goshawk a close second!  Other raptors included Red Kite, Peregrine and Hobby.  Plenty of Ravens here too and small numbers of Crossbills were moving around all the time we were there.

We then drove further west in to Wales, eventually arriving at Marloes on the Pembrokeshire coast.  Patient waiting at Marloes Mere finally provided views of the long-staying Glossy Ibis plus 4 Green Sandpipers and a couple of juvenile Peregrines.

All being well, we hope to cross to Skokholm tomorrow and commit to some ringing and birding on an island which is new for the both of us.

Regards

Neil M

 

Honey Buzzard with

Common Buzzard

 

Honey Buzzard by

Neil Hasdell

 

 

 

Holly Blue

 

 

 

Glossy Ibis

This afternoon found me wandering around Blueberry area and as I sat on one of the seats at the top of the big field admiring one of the best views in Northamptonshire an Osprey, Hobby and Barn Owl flew through my field of view and I could hear a Grasshopper Warbler close by.

I walked the dogs late this evening in the area between Hanging Houghton and Cottesbrooke. Against the backdrop of a stunning red sky and the combine harvesters working the fields I heard another Grasshopper Warbler and saw at least 4 Whinchats.

As I came back to the village I could hear the family of Little Owls hissing and generally making lots of noises. So I couldn't resist walking over to them and playing "peek a boo" as they looked out from behind the tree branches, they are just so comical.

Regards Eleanor

And then there were two !!!

What a better way to start Sunday morning than with a wander at Harrington Airfield with my 3 collie dogs in tow ! There were plenty of common birds to look at, Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Reed Buntings, Whitethroats and Hirundines to name but a few. 

At 08.30hrs a "cream crown Marsh Harrier" flew over the track in front of me and disappeared from view. Then a Hobby came hurtling through the hirundines and disappeared in the same direction.

Two Whinchat were perched on some dead looking weed stems by the side of the track and a Redstart and Turtle Dove in the bushes at the end of the main track.

I decided to walk down to the pond and as I did so an adult Grey Partridge with 4 well grown young broke cover.  I noticed a raptor quartering the wheat and it was "the" Marsh Harrier, but as I watched I was aware that it had been joined by another raptor........another cream crown Marsh Harrier.!!  This was at 09.00. I watched them for about 10 mins and they were clearly enjoying the sun and breeze as they interacted with one another , before heading off across the fields towards the Brampton Valley Way. 

Regards Eleanor

Blueberry p.m.

Hello

This afternoon a walk around the Blueberry Farm complex near Maidwell was pleasant but generally quiet.  This warm weather is probably assisting passerine migrants to move through the country without the need to necessarily refuel, hence why many of the autumnal movements of warblers, chats etc has been very light so far.

A single Grey Partridge and an adult Osprey which flew towards Haselbech at 6.30pm were the only birds of note seen.

Regards

Eleanor and Neil

Osprey
Blueberry Farm



Harrington a.m.

Hello

A walk around the Harrington Airfield complex this morning was relatively quiet, albeit that there were reasonable numbers of Whitethroats and Willow Warblers present.  A single Crossbill flew SW at 8.40am and presumably a different bird did likewise at 10.15am.  Two Turtle Doves were present, one on wires by the chippings compound and another at the very end of the concrete track.

A single Red Kite flew over Hanging Houghton early this afternoon.

Regards

E & N

Evening at Pitsford

Hello

A Red Kite was sauntering over Lamport Hall this evening and birds north of the causeway at Pitsford Res later on included an adult Yellow-legged Gull, a Hobby, 2 Little Egrets and a Common Sandpiper.

Regards

Neil M

Neighbourhood Birding

Hello

A breezy but pleasant morning provided 3 Whinchats at the southern end of the Blueberry Farm complex near Maidwell plus two Hobbies (one of which appeared to be carrying a Swift).  Not too far away, there were two Grey Wagtails at Brixworth Sewer Works.

At about 11am this morning a Turnstone was flying around Pitsford Res in the vicinity of the yacht club, and an adult Yellow-legged Gull was present.

Regards

Neil M

Warm weather birds

This morning there were 2 Whinchats and a Grasshopper Warbler in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and a Barn Owl and a Hobby at Blueberry Farm.

At Harrington Airfield this afternoon a juvenile Marsh Harrier was present at 4.30pm - other birds included a Redstart, 2 Whinchats, a Hobby and a Turtle Dove.

At Pitsford Res this morning, Dave Francis completed another CES ringing session in the Scaldwell Bay, catching some 57 birds.  Typical birds included 8 Reed Warblers, 6 Willow Warblers, 4 Chiffchaffs, 3 Garden Warblers and 2 Whitethroats.  A very untypical catch in a mist net was a juvenile Grey Heron, and thankfully both bird and Dave remain unscathed!

This afternoon birds of note visible from the causeway at Pitsford were restricted to at least one Yellow-legged Gull and a female Pochard wearing a bill shield.

Regards

E & N

NN6 Birding

Hello

Birds at Harrington Airfield this morning included a Hobby and 2 Crossbills flying over in a northerly-westerly direction.

Scanning from the causeway at Pitsford Res this morning provided views of an adult Yellow-legged Gull, a Little Egret, a Kingfisher and a Wigeon.  A very late brood of Great Tits was discovered in a nest box by The Lodge.  Six Yellow-legged Gulls were in the gull roost off the dam this evening.

Birds near to Hanging Houghton this afternoon included the Little Owl family still plus an adult Grey Partridge with two young.

Blueberry Farm produced a Hobby, a Red Kite, a Barn Owl, a Grasshopper Warbler and at least four Whinchats.

Regards

Eleanor and Neil

Blueberry

Hello

A beautiful evening at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell with still conditions and golden autumnal sunshine was reward enough, but two hunting Barn Owls, a Grasshopper Warbler and a small 'fall' of Willow Warblers made it rather special this evening.

A few images below from the last few days locally...

Regards

Neil M




RAF Hercules over
Harrington Airfield

Redshank with yellow/orange
legs Pitsford Res causeway







Female Pochard at
Pitsford Res with bill
'shield'

Juvenile Lapwing
Pitsford Res

Hobby
Draughton

Ringing at Pitsford

Hello

Dave Francis completed a ringing session this morning at Pitsford Res, utilising the area around the Old Scaldwell Road feeding station.  He had a productive time with 65 birds caught which included 2 Sedge Warblers, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, a Willow Warbler, 15 juvenile Tree Sparrows, 11 Chaffinches, 4 Greenfinches and 3 Goldfinches.

Two Little Egrets and a Green Sandpiper were north of the causeway at Pitsford this afternoon, and this morning there were two Crossbills around the garden centre by the A428 entrance of Harlestone Heath.

Regards

E & N

Red Sky at night...

Hello

This evening there was an amazing red/orange sky to the west which hopefully means that tomorrow will be a day of stunning weather after today's deluge.

The star bird today was a juvenile Marsh Harrier at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell at 5.15pm.  It was rigorously escorted out of the area by a pair of Hobby and left towards Haselbech.  A Red Kite also put in an appearance.

Regards

Eleanor

Ringing at Stortons GP

Hello

Ringing sessions at Stortons Gravel Pits this year have been consistently good for both numbers and variety of birds in this aquatic and marginal habitat.  This morning the ringers on-site managed to catch 107 birds prior to the late morning downpour which halted proceedings.  Perhaps one of the more interesting birds was a Sedge Warbler bearing a French ring -  hopefully we will receive news soon of its recorded movements (although there is frequently a delay in obtaining the information from foreign databases).

Subtle but positive habitat changes at Stortons GP over the years now ensure there is plenty of phragmites reed growing both in banks and scattered about, and scrub is regenerating around the edges.  Certainly there is now a very healthy Reed Warbler population both breeding and moving through these old gravel pits, with smaller numbers of Sedge Warbler and several pairs of Cetti's Warblers present too.  This small reed-bed habitat mirrors similar large projects around the country, providing stepping stones for avian wildlife.

Regards

Neil M                                                                                                                                                  

Pitsford

Hello

Birds north of the causeway at Pitsford Res this morning included a Yellow-legged Gull, 1-2 Little Egret, a Kingfisher and a family party of Spotted Flycatcher.  The Bar-headed Goose was just to the south of the causeway by the main car park. 

Two female Pochard sporting green bill shields which are a result of being trapped, ringed and marked abroad were also north of the causeway.  A previously-marked female had been seen in France and Spain as well as Pitsford and other sites in the UK.  These shields are fixed to provide an opportunity for such birds to be recognised and reported whilst on their travels.

Regards

Neil M

Rustic birding in the sunshine

Hello

A walk around the dam area at Pitsford Res this morning didn't provide much in the way of different birds.  An adult Yellow-legged Gull was still present and there was at least one Spotted Flycatcher by the entrance to the car park reached from Pitsford village.  Swifts remain in evidence, this species presumably also breeding later than in most years (often the majority of the birds have departed by the end of July).

A Redstart was present in a hedge between Cottesbrooke and Hanging Houghton, close to the southern outskirts of the Blueberry Farm complex.  Other birds within the associated loose flock included many Whitethroats and Spotted Flycatcher.  We couldn't see the Whinchat from yesterday evening.

Regards

Eleanor & Neil

Whinchat

Hi

This evening was spent wandering the fields and tracks between Cottesbrooke and Hanging Houghton in pleasant conditions.  A moulting adult Whinchat was the pick of the birds, spending its time in a wheat field adjacent to the most southerly field of the Blueberry Farm complex (and track that leads from Beck Dairy at Cottesbrooke to Hanging Houghton).  A distant Red Kite and the way it was behaving adds to the speculation that a pair may be breeding nearby this year.

Regards

Eleanor and Neil

Bird Free Zone!

Hello

Well it's been hard graft finding any birds of note locally the last couple of days!

On Wednesday 31st July there was an adult Yellow-legged Gull off the dam at Pitsford Res and a Red Kite was noted at Sedgebrook Hall.  A lengthy walk around Harlestone Heath in the evening failed to locate any birds of note.

Yesterday (1st August) there was a Grey Wagtail in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and a Little Egret was noted in the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Res.

This morning (2nd August) and a walk around Harrington Airfield produced little more than the usual birds which included a pair of Grey Partridge.  An early afternoon scan from the causeway at Pitsford Res was enough to locate a Redshank and 2 Little Egrets.

Regards

Eleanor and Neil

Birding pm

Hello

The pleasant weather of this afternoon incited a few raptors over the garden, the best being a couple of Hobbies.  A couple of Nuthatches were the only other birds of note in the village.

A quick walk around Welford Res this evening was pleasant but quiet, although there was a family party of Spotted Flycatchers nearby.

Scanning from the dam at Pitsford Res this evening provided views of 4 Yellow-legged Gulls and 3 Common Sandpipers.

Regards

Neil M

Great Crested Grebe
Pitsford Res

Peering through the heat haze

Hello

A visit to the Summer Leys reserve at Earls Barton GP this morning provided views of a Wood Sandpiper, a Greenshank, a Dunlin, 4 Little Ringed Plovers, 3 Snipe and a Little Egret.

A scan from the Old Scaldwell Road at Pitsford Res early afternoon was difficult with a strong heat haze. Birds noted included an adult Yellow-legged Gull, a Goldeneye and a Common Sandpiper.

Regards

Neil M