Nene Valley birding

Hello

Yesterday (17th) saw both Eric Graham and Nick Parker at Thrapston Pits and between them they saw a Little Tern (which remained just some fifteen minutes), two Yellow-legged Gulls, two Green Sandpipers and a Common Sandpiper.

Stanwick Pits also hosted birds with Cattle Egrets coming and going between this site and nearby Ringstead Pits and Steve Fisher was in amongst it with four fly-over Spoonbills, a Greenshank, two Green Sandpipers, three Common Sandpipers and four Yellow-legged Gulls all on show. Further west along the valley and Summer Leys attracted two Ruff, a Common Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper and a Raven.

Today (18th) and Stanwick Pits again hosted a Cattle Egret, two Common Sandpipers and a Snipe, and a Common Sandpiper was on the causeway this evening at Pitsford Reservoir. Thrapston Pits mustered two Wigeon and a Green Sandpiper today...

This afternoon Harrington Airfield harboured a Turtle Dove and two Grey Partridges and two Common Redstarts - one by Bunker One close to the ringing ride with the other in bushes west of the concrete track and near to the northern end. Marbled White butterflies are still in good numbers there.

Regards

Neil M

Wren.

Moorhen.

Female Blackbird.
All above images courtesy
of John Tilly

Spotted Flycatcher nest with
young yesterday in South
Northants, image courtesy
of Chris Payne.

NBC trip to the Camargue

Hello

Unfortunately no time for any birding today so I thought I would post some images from the Northants Bird Club trip to the Camargue in May 2019. I'm still in the process of formatting quite a number of images and in time I will make these available too...

Regards

Neil M

Short-toed Eagle.

Marsh Frog sp.

Corn Bunting.

Western Marbled White.

Coypu.

Montagu's Harrier.

Firecrest.

Pitsford Ringing

Hello

More bird ringing took place at Pitsford Reservoir today, mostly in the Scaldwell Bay. About a hundred birds of 22 species were caught and assessed and the continued picture indicates a productive summer for many smaller birds. Warblers today included 14 Blackcaps (all juveniles) , 7 Garden Warblers, 2 Whitethroats, 4 Reed Warblers and 6 Chiffchaffs. A female Cetti's Warbler was only the third such individual to be ringed at Pitsford. A young Willow Tit was also good news and the first new bird of this species to be captured this year. Other interesting birds included re-trap singles of Jay and Green Woodpecker, three Treecreepers, a Marsh Tit and six re-trap Mallard.

Other birds noted on-site included a Great White Egret, two Red-crested Pochard and two Green Sandpipers (one of which was pursued by a Hobby). The warm weather today caused significant insect activity with huge hatches of Thunder Flies and flying ants as well as plenty of butterflies and odonata.

Elsewhere and Stanwick Pits provided three Black-tailed Godwits early morning.

Regards

Neil M

Jaeger and Rouzel and
Cornflowers near Lamport.

Juvenile Great Spotted
Woodpecker courtesy of
Chris Payne.

An atmospheric Pitsford
 Reservoir early this morning
courtesy of Lynne Barnett.

Ruddy Darter at Pitsford
Reservoir today...

Birds of mid July.

Hello

A Cuckoo was noted at Blueberry Farm this morning and a lunch-time wander at Harrington Airfield provided views of two Grey Partridges, a Turtle Dove, a Hobby and plenty of Marbled White butterflies. A probable Common Redstart was calling from bushes near to Bunker Two but refused to show itself!

A quick visit to Pitsford Reservoir to top up feeders yielded two Yellow-legged Gulls off the Sailing Club and plenty of Marbled White butterflies in the Scaldwell Meadow.

Birds at Stanwick Pits today included a Cattle Egret, a Whimbrel, a Greenshank and three Common Sandpipers (all courtesy of Steve Fisher).

An evening ringing session at Lamport Hall concluded with forty-one captures of thirty-eight House Martins and three Common Swifts. The Swifts there seemed to be in much lower numbers than previous years but we identified four active nests (or at least holes where adults were visiting). House Martins were in good numbers and probably similar to previous years and the birds caught included seven fledged juveniles and three birds first ringed there in 2017 and 2018.

Regards

Neil M

Common Swift.

House Martin.

Here come the waders!

Hello

Yesterday (13th) and the best birds seen at Ravensthorpe Reservoir were an adult Yellow-legged Gull and two Green Sandpipers. 

Today (14th) saw no sign of the Common Redstart and Cuckoo immediately north of Hanging Houghton. A ringing session this morning at Stortons Pits provided an excellent 83 captures with many warblers including a French-ringed Reed Warbler. Further ringing sessions are planned for Lamport Hall tomorrow and Pitsford Reservoir on Tuesday.

At Summer Leys reserve today a Little Stint was reported and the waders far easier to see included six Little Ringed Plovers, a Common Sandpiper, two Green Sandpipers and four Redshanks. Further east and Stanwick Pits hosted a Cattle Egret, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Greenshank, four Common Sandpipers and a Green Sandpiper.

Three Avocets at Clifford Hill Pits today were an excellent find and other birds on-site included two Bar-headed Geese among the many Canadas.

Regards

Neil M

Avocet.

Common Sandpiper.

A quiet couple of days where my birding has been confined to the nearby fields due to having no transport.
Yesterday on my run I saw Turtle Dove and Grey Partridge at Harrington Airfield and heard plenty of Chiffchaff in full song.
I spent a few hours walking the fields around Blueberry Farm and below Hanging Houghton but despite being a lovely day I saw very little of note. A couple of adult Grey Partridge, goodness knows what has happened to any young, and plenty of warblers.  Plenty of butterflies on the wing including good numbers of Marbled White and Painted Lady.
This afternoon whilst in the field behind the house I heard the familiar call of Common Redstart and found a rather scruffy looking male in the hedge and a Cuckoo gave a few calls from the nearby field.
Our garden is still busy with birds and they seem to be eating as much food as they do in the winter months !!!  It can get quite noisy at times with the young Starlings, Jackdaws, Great Spotted Woodpeckers and Nuthatches.

Regards Eleanor

Pitsford Wildlife Week

Pitsford Water Nature Reserve – Wildlife Week

Saturday 20th July to Sunday 28th July

Celebrating 50 years of The Wildlife Trust BCN managing this wonderful reserve in partnership with Anglian Water

Help us celebrate this milestone by coming along to one of our events. There is something for everybody - illustrated talks, moth morning, wildlife photography exhibition, wildflower wander, family nature walks, art workshop, bird ringing demonstration and exploring invertebrate sessions.

Come to one of our Meet the Wildlife Trust sessions, to find out more about the site, and how you can gain a permit to walk around the reserve.

For more information, please look at:

www.wildlifebcn.org/pitsfordwildlifeweek

Reservoir birding

Hello

A short ringing session at Pitsford Reservoir in Christies Copse proved quiet today but provided an opportunity to properly study those birds caught. Two drake Red-crested Pochard, a first summer Yellow-legged Gull and a Hobby were all noted in the Walgrave Bay. Later a Great White Egret was on the trees stumps right next to the Bird Club hide in the Scaldwell Bay, there were at least twenty-two Little Egrets north of the causeway and a male Lesser Emperor dragonfly made a couple of passes in front of the Bird Club hide.

Harrington Airfield was pretty routine with the best bird a Grey Partridge and still plenty of butterflies (including Marbled White)  and day-flying moths.

An evening visit to Ravensthorpe Reservoir provided views of an adult Yellow-legged Gull by the dam and at least two Green Sandpipers.

Elsewhere Summer Leys LNR attracted four Green Sandpipers and Stanwick Pits a Greenshank.

Regards

Neil M

Although they haven't
been out long, this Ringlet
butterfly is already quite faded
and worn...

Juvenile Garden Warbler.

Small Skipper butterfly.

Burnet moth sp.

Great White Egret.

Black-headed Gull
hoovering up damsel-flies.
All above images from
Pitsford Reservoir today.

Adult Yellow-legged Gull
Ravensthorpe Reservoir
this evening...

Images from the West Highlands

Hello

Eric Graham again visited Blatherwycke Lake today, notching up a Common Sandpiper, eight Little Egrets, three Mandarin Ducks and four Black Swans. Nearby Deene Lake attracted a 'reeling' Grasshopper Warbler, an Osprey flying over, two young Shelduck, a Common Sandpiper and at least three Green Sandpipers.

Little in the way of birding opportunities for us today, so some images posted from a tour to the Ardnamurchan Peninsular and Treshnish Isles, West Highlands of Scotland in May...

Regards

Neil M

Lesser Black backed Gull.

Swallow.

Wood Warbler.

Bottle-nosed Dolphin.

Kittiwake.

Razorbill.

Puffin.

Shag.

Chequered Skipper.

Fulmar.

Summer merging with autumn

Hello

Although it started very dull and rather cool, I completed another Common Bird Census at Pitsford Reservoir today. By the time I had finished the temperature had risen and the dappled sunshine and occasional warmer periods brought out plenty of insects.

Birds on-site included a Great White Egret in the Scaldwell Bay, at least nineteen Little Egrets, three drake Red-crested Pochard in the Walgrave Bay, three Teal, a drake Wigeon, the moulting drake Goldeneye, 143 Tufted Ducks, 36 Pochard and 342 Gadwall. Singles of Green Sandpiper and Common Sandpiper were further heralds of autumn and other avian highlights included a Raven, two Oystercatchers, the summering Cetti's Warbler and two Willow Tits (one a singing male) near Lagoon Hide.

At least six species of odonata and at least nine species of butterfly were on the wing which didn't include Painted Lady - have they all moved through now? Marbled White butterflies can be found at several places on the reserve but there is an excellent collection of them currently between the causeway and Maytrees Hide. Roesel's Bush-crickets were strumming today, the first I've heard this year.

Steve Fisher again saw two Cattle Egrets around the Main Lake at Stanwick Pits today plus a Common Sandpiper. Birds at Thrapston Pits included a successfully fishing Osprey, a Hobby and a Green Sandpiper and three Green Sandpipers were today in Wader Bay at Summer Leys NR (Earls Barton).

Regards

Neil M

Willow Tit.

Little Egret.

Black-tailed Skimmers.

Common Tern.

Black-headed Gull.

All images taken at
Pitsford Reservoir today...

Black-taileds!

Hello

At Pitsford Reservoir today the Little Egret count had risen to at least eighteen birds north of the causeway plus the usual Yellow-legged Gull and a Kingfisher. Good numbers of Black-tailed Skimmer dragonflies enjoyed sunning themselves on the track between the Maytrees and Bird Club hides.

A Grasshopper Warbler was again in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and Harrington Airfield today hosted four adult Grey Partridges, a Turtle Dove and a Grasshopper Warbler. Plenty of butterflies at Harrington again included good numbers of Small Heaths and several Marbled Whites.

Stanwick Pits again hosted a Garganey and two Cattle Egrets today and further along the Nene Valley Summer Leys attracted eleven Black-tailed Godwits, eight Redshanks and two Green Sandpipers.

Regards

Neil M

Black-tailed Skimmer.

Black-tailed Godwit