Scillies Birding

Hello

The Scillies birding scene during the last week or so has been somewhat reminiscent of the 'good old days' back in the eighties... a series of weather systems from across the Atlantic have been the dominant force providing visitors from across 'the Pond'. In addition the warm conditions have been good for butterflies and other insects, that is between the many soggy periods!

The below images reflect our experiences of the last ten days...!

Regards

Neil M

Grey Wagtail.

Bee-eater!

Firecrest.

American Golden Plover.

Painted Lady butterfly.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

Bird Club Meeting tomorrow evening!

Hello

The next indoor meeting of the Northants Bird Club is tomorrow evening, 4th October at the usual venue of the Fishing Lodge at Pitsford Reservoir, Brixworth Road, Holcot.

The presenter is Nicholas Watts MBE, a successful Lincolnshire farmer and ardent conservationist who will show us the way to farm our land AND provide appropriate wildlife habitat.

Nicholas also runs Vine House Farm Birdfood, and his farm is utilised to cultivate wild bird food in addition to standard cereal produce.

The meeting commences at 7.30pm and there will be hot drinks and biscuits available during the evening.

All welcome!

Neil M

Corn Bunting.

Barn Owl.

Two of the species benefiting
from pro-wildlife farming methods.

Linford ringing report

Hi all,

Not quite knowing what to expect today, it quickly became evident that we were in for a bumper session. 118 birds of 16 species found the nets, of which an unprecedented (for Linford) 106 were newly ringed.

Thankfully we had John on hand to help deal with the rush, otherwise we would most likely have had to close the nets.

As tentatively predicted, the catch was made up predominantly of blackcap (25) and chiffchaff (27). A Swiss control blackcap was quite a surprise (after we finally managed to read and translate the ring inscription!)

Other notable captures included 3 cettis warblers, a treecreeper, 6 goldcrests, 4 reed buntings, and 2 kingfishers.

Flocking blue tits boosted the numbers by a further 21.

The only real frustration was dipping on the meadow pipits which were present, but seemingly content to perch on the net poles.

Huge thanks to Sarah and John for working extra hard today!

Cheers

Kenny

Blackbird 2

Robin 3

Blackcap 24 (1)

Chiffchaff 27

Blue tit 17 (4)

Wren 5 (2)

Cettis warbler 2 (1)

Treecreeper 1

Goldcrest 5 (1)

Reed bunting 4

Dunnock 4 (2)

Long tailed tit 5

Great tit 5

Kingfisher 1 (1)

Chaffinch 1

Song thrush (1)

Images from John and John!

Hello

John Gamble has kindly forwarded some images relating to a recent visit to Dorset and John Tilly took a stroll around the reserve section of Pitsford Reservoir and has kindly made some photographic donations...

Thank-you to both of you...

Regards

Neil M

Wryneck courtesy of
John Gamble.

Great White Egret courtesy
of John Gamble.

Cattle Egrets courtesy
of John Gamble.

Curlew Sandpiper courtesy
of John Gamble.

Wigeon.

Red Admiral butterfly.

Great Crested Grebe.

Lapwing.

Little Egret.

Above six images from
Pitsford Reservoir courtesy
of John Tilly.

Scilly Birds

Hello

After a couple of days in West Cornwall, Eleanor and I braved the sea crossing at the week-end to commence our stay on the Isles of Scilly, a regular venue of ours.

The first few days have been warm and sunny but wetter and greyer conditions will be with us soon!

Images of some of the highlights are as follows...

Regards

Neil M

Fulmar.

Gannet.

American Golden Plover.

Wryneck.

More ringing returns...

Hello

A couple of recent ringing returns as follows...

A juvenile Starling was ringed at Scaldwell village on 7th June 2017 and was found dead, seemingly predated, in the Headlands district of Northampton on 21st August, a distance of about 10km. This year seemed to be a good breeding season for Starlings, the sometimes moist conditions providing optimum conditions for adults to find sufficient numbers of leatherjackets, the all-important larvae of Crane Flies, a critical food for Starlings during the breeding season. A large proportion of these flying juveniles are thinned out by predators, in particular they regularly fall prey to domestic cats, Sparrowhawks and Peregrines.

An adult Reed Warbler was caught and ringed at Stortons Gravel Pits on 25th August this year and only six days later was again found in a mist net but this time at Icklesham, Sussex, a distance of 185km in a south-easterly direction. It would be interesting to know if this was a breeding bird at Stortons or indeed was perhaps a passage adult from further north?

The weather in west Cornwall today was blustery and grey and sometimes rather wet but we managed to see a few birds including a Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Sennen, the third one in two days!
A two hour walk at Kenidjack provided at least five Choughs, a Peregrine and a heavy passage of Gannets offshore, but passerines were minimal. A Firecrest remained secretive on the outskirts of Penzance and the infamous headland of Porthgwarra was the venue for a little sea-watching in challenging conditions; diversity was limited and Gannets and Manx Shearwaters dominated but also a couple of passing Balearic Shearwaters made it more interesting. We finished the day at a very wet Hayle Estuary where the choice waders were Little Stint and Curlew Sandpiper.

Regards

Neil M

Juvenile Great Black-backed Gull.

Adult Gannet.

Little Egret.

Autumn waders

Hello

Chris Payne committed to some ringing in his Greens Norton garden yesterday morning, quickly catching 47 birds made up mostly of Goldfinches and Greenfinches but a Chiffchaff too. Raw ringing data from all the birds ringed in the UK last year indicates that Goldfinches were the second most common bird ringed (for the first time and second only to Blue Tit), indicating a significant increase in numbers and a growing tendency to utilise garden feeders.

Bob Bullock, Neil Hasdell and Cathy Ryden have all seen a colour-ringed Little Egret at Hollowell Reservoir which was present at the start of the month. It seems that this bird was ringed as a nestling at Netherall in Essex on 7th May 2016, the Northants sightings being nearly 500 days after it was ringed, this bird moving 96km in a north westerly direction.

Jacob notched up some good wader numbers today at Pitsford Reservoir with a Little Stint, 8 Dunlin, 5 Ruff and 24 Ringed Plovers all congregating in the Scaldwell Bay.

A trundle down the road to Davidstow Airfield in Cornwall today provided some close views of waders which included two fine Buff-breasted Sandpipers, and a more distant view of a Spotted Sandpiper on nearby Crowdy Reservoir...

Regards

Neil M

Ringed Plover.

Buff-breasted Sandpiper.

Chats on the move!

Hello

This morning the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton provided an excellent suite of chats with a single Redstart, two Whinchats, two Stonechats and a Wheatear all on show.

The ringing session at Harrington Airfield today provided 99 captures of 17 species made up of 2 Green Woodpeckers, 9 Blackbirds, 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Wrens, a Goldcrest, 22 Yellowhammers, 10 Dunnocks, a Greenfinch, 4 Chaffinches, 6 Goldfinches, 4 Linnets, 8 Great Tits, 6 Blue Tits, 6 Robins, 12 Meadow Pipits, a Lesser Whitethroat and 3 Reed Buntings.

Birds noted on-site included a Stonechat, a pair of Ravens and 7 Golden Plovers.

Regards

Neil M

Stonechat, courtesy of
Jacob Spinks.

Whinchat courtesy of
Jacob Spinks.

Wheatear.

Common Redstart.

Little Stints

Hello

No birding opportunities for me or Eleanor today but Cathy Ryden was at Hollowell Reservoir this evening and saw two Little Stints and seven Ringed Plovers...

Regards

Neil M

Little Stints and Ringed Plover
at Hollowell Reservoir today,
courtesy of Cathy Ryden.

Portrait of a young Red
Fox at Pitsford Reservoir
courtesy of Jacob Spinks.

The low water levels at
Pitsford make it easy to
see Red Foxes and Muntjac Deer
and they are regularly on show
along the shore between the
water's edge and more established
vegetation

Pitsford WeBS count

Hello

The Pitsford Reservoir WeBS count was completed today, the highlights being a Black-tailed Godwit, 6 Ruff, 6 Dunlin, a Little Stint, 2 Greenshanks, 2 Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper, 7-10 Ringed Plovers, a Snipe, a Great White Egret, 20+ Little Egrets, a Barnacle Goose, 8 Pintail, a Grey Wagtail and up to 4 White Wagtails. Visible migration included over 400 Swallows heading south.

A ringing session is planned for Harrington Airfield this coming Wednesday and the area around the bunkers and old airstrip will be out of bounds during this period. Anyone wishing to come along to observe proceedings is quite welcome providing you email me beforehand. Access to the public footpath and concrete track remains unaffected.

Regards

Neil M

Adult female and juvenile Bullfinch.
Often a late breeder, dependent juveniles
can be with their parents into October...
Images courtesy of Cathy Ryden.

Lion's Mane jellyfish,
photographed by Dave
Francis in the harbour at
Ullapool recently. A little
different to the usual birds
and mammals!