Images from Pitsford Reservoir.

Hello

Some recent images from Pitsford Reservoir with my thanks to Robin and David for their valued contributions...

Regards

Neil M

Tufted Duck

The acrobatic Common Tern

Cormorant.

All above images
courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Common Spotted Orchid
as found in the Walgrave Bay.

Juvenile Common Buzzard.
 This bird is exhibiting some kind of
 deformity or disease affecting the softer tissue
 to the right hand side of the head.

Above two images courtesy of
David Arden.

Grey Heron.

Courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Pitsford CES

Hello

Dave Francis worked Session 6 of the Constant Effort ringing effort in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir today, catching 47 birds. This is much less than would be expected and appears to confirm a poor breeding season at Pitsford for many species.

Nineteen species were captured today including two Coots and a Mallard in the duck trap and other birds of interest included two Kingfishers, six Blackcaps, two Garden Warblers, a Reed Warbler, five Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler, a Treecreeper, a Song Thrush and a Bullfinch. The only bird in good numbers was the fabulous Robin with eleven individuals logged.

Regards

Neil M

Stroppy Avocets!

Images from Titchwell
taken on Sunday.

More images from Norfolk...

Hello

Yesterday (Sunday) and the ringing session at Stortons Gravel Pits was somewhat curtailed due to this unpredictable June weather. However 22 birds were captured before rain and wind stopped play and included juvenile Whitethroats and a juvenile Sedge Warbler. A Reed Bunting bearing ring number Z310185 was netted - this bird was first caught and ringed at Harrington Airfield in September 2014.

Today (Monday) and a single Turtle Dove was the only bird of note located at Harrington Airfield with Blueberry Farm hosting now three 'reeling' Grasshopper Warblers and a Barn Owl this evening.

Regards

Neil M

Common Tern

Sandwich Tern

Bearded Tits

Mallard duckling

Avocet

Avocet chick

All images from the
RSPB reserve at Titchwell.

A day to Norfolk

Hello

Northants Ringing Group members assisted at a bioblitz project at Linford Lakes near Milton Keynes yesterday (Saturday), catching 49 birds, 40 of which were new. A juvenile Cetti's Warbler was confirmation that this species now breeds on-site but something of a surprise was the capture of a first year female Redstart. Presumably this is a failed breeder already on it's way back south. Other birds included 5 Reed Warblers, 5 Blackcaps, 3 Garden Warblers, a Whitethroat, a Treecreeper, 2 Reed Buntings and 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers.

Today (Sunday) and Debbie and Eric Graham were out and about on the Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston and located four singing Cetti's Warblers and saw a Peregrine too.

Also today a car-load of us headed to the North Norfolk coast, stopping first at Sandringham where we were treated to at least one Firecrest.

On next to Holme in an effort to see the Great Knot, only to see the complete flock of summering Knot  (which it spends it's time with) lift off and fly rapidly east! A Marsh Harrier and a Turtle Dove were some compensation.

We drove to the RSPB reserve at Titchwell but there was no sign of the GK. Three Ruff included a couple of moulting males, one of which was displaying between bouts of feeding. Up to four Spotted Redshanks were still in summer plumage, three or four first summer Little Gulls were mobile as were three summer plumage Mediterranean Gulls. Some fledged juvenile Marsh Harriers clearly required further practice at food-passing, losing the hard-earned prey on two occasions!

On next to Brancaster where we walked down to view the Knot flock on Scolt Head. Little, Common and Sandwich Terns fished the shallow waters as we scanned the mostly soft greys of the Knot, interspersed with summer plumage 'Red Knot'. And there it was, the super Great Knot, keeping to the edge of the flock and then coming down to feed on the receding tide! After putting the news out we helped other birders on to the bird as they ambled amongst ordinary holiday makers enjoying the classic sandy Norfolk beach.

We finished the birding day back at Titchwell where Bearded Tits showed well, five Spoonbills were in flight, a Bittern boomed and we watched the antics of the volatile breeding Avocets as they tried to force out any other bird from 'their' stretch of mud and shallow water.

Please also see the Tab 'Robin's Wildlife Antics' which includes a recently posted series of shots depicting aggressive interaction between a trio of Great Crested Grebes...

Regards

Neil M

Firecrest

Ruff

Little Tern

Sandwich Tern

Ringing at Brixworth

Hello

A ringing session at Brixworth water treatment works this afternoon was a little slow but we eventually caught 37 birds which included 14 Pied Wagtails, a female Yellow Wagtail, a juvenile Grey Wagtail, a House Martin (which was a returning bird from 2014), 12 Swallows (including a bird first ringed in Hertfordshire in August 2015) and 4 Magpies...

A Hobby was one of five species of raptor noted during our time there.

Regards

Neil M

Pied Wagtails.

Quite a number of the
Pied Wagtails we are catching
are juveniles and there seems
 to be plenty of them!

Middle England in June

Hello

Today an early morning walk at Harrington Airfield didn't provide any particular birds of interest apart from a couple of Willow Tits which remained mostly well hidden in the vegetation.

Three Grey Partridges were found close to Hanging Houghton again and the Ruddy Shelduck remains within the grounds of the Sailing Club at Pitsford Reservoir.

Welford Reservoir this evening looked spectacular in strong sunshine against a backdrop of dark rain-laden clouds and the only birds of note was a fish-carrying Kingfisher and Great Crested Grebes with stripey young. A Spotted Flycatcher was present between Naseby and Welford.

Regards

Neil M

Common Spotted Orchids
Harrington Airfield.

Poppies at Harrington Airfield.

Juvenile Blue Tit.

Joseph our long-staying
rescue dog on foster care.
Is there a home out there
for him?

Singing Yellowhammer
on hawthorn.

'Middle England' complete with
spiraling Common Buzzard!

There they go!

The Red Arrows
heading north over
the Brampton Valley
near Hanging
Houghton this evening...

More images from Robin

Hello

Nothing much to report locally today, so some more wildlife images from Robin Gossage to cast your eyes over....

Regards

Neil M

Stock Dove

Grass Snake

Greenfinch

Marsh Tit

Warm but wet June

Hello

At Pitsford Reservoir this morning an Osprey was fishing between the dam and the causeway for nearly half an hour before finally catching a fish and heading off at about 7.30am. Other birds included the injured Ruddy Shelduck and a couple of Little Egrets.

A pair of Grey Partridge were present at Harrington Airfield this morning and a sticky, warm Blueberry Farm was good for two singing Grasshopper Warblers this evening.

Regards

Neil M

Reed Bunting

Courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Sedge Warbler carrying food.

Courtesy of John Gamble.

Heading East...

Hello

Eleanor was off to Norfolk for a few days and left early this morning. En-route of course she couldn't resist a wander around Harrington Airfield and saw a Turtle Dove actually on the concrete track and a hunting Barn Owl.

Just off the A14 east of Kettering is the rather lovely Twywell Hills and Dales Country Park and that was her next venue. Here large numbers of Common Spotted Orchids look an absolute picture and here also there was a Turtle Dove, a Raven and a calling Cuckoo. A sign of the times, this was Eleanor's first calling Cuckoo of the year - just in time really because some of them are already heading back south!

A little further east and Eleanor walked around the Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston Gravel Pits, notching up at least six singing Cetti's Warblers. Other birds here included a Peregrine, three Hobbys and another Cuckoo.

Not surprisingly Titchwell on the Norfolk coast was her next stop where she managed to see the vagrant summer plumage Great Knot which is currently commuting between there and Scolt Head.

Away from all this excitement I felt privileged to find a pair of Grey Partridge on the outskirts of Hanging Houghton this morning, and then found a single bird on the other side of the village in the afternoon. Four Ravens were an impressive sight between the villages of Scaldwell and Brixworth early this afternoon.

Also today Dave Francis was afloat at Pitsford Reservoir checking on the tern rafts. An estimated 52 nests is good news and to date this year 39 Common Tern chicks have been ringed. Dave's timing was excellent inasmuch that he liberated a brood of Greylag Geese and a brood of Mallard which had laid eggs on the rafts but had no means to reach the water (the rafts have border panels to prevent Common Tern chicks from falling off and to counter significant wave action). The pair of Oystercatcher have also hatched four chicks on one of the rafts.

Regards

Neil M

Cuckoo

Common Tern