Out of season birds

Hello

Yesterday provided a couple of interesting 'out of season' records including a Merlin near to Hanging Houghton Sewer Works (Fiona Barclay) and several birds seen at Earls Barton whilst searching for the 'small heron' which included the Spoonbill again on Hardwater Lake, a Peregrine, a Hobby, two Water Rails and a 'reeling' Grasshopper Warbler. Birds at Harrington Airfield in the evening included two Common Redstarts (adult male and a female/imm), bizarrely a calling Woodcock that flew over and disappeared towards the B576 and a 'reeling' Grasshopper Warbler.

Today was the last Common Bird Census at Pitsford Reservoir and the July visit is all about picking up on late breeders and plotting a surprising number of resident birds that sing at the start of the season and at the end but with little evidence inbetween (the modest Dunnock is the classic example).

I took a clockwise circuit around the reserve beginning at 5am and there were six Little Egrets visible from the causeway and some super misty conditions with the rising sun that I was unable to properly capture with my camera. At least four Crossbills were mobile in the trees in the Scaldwell Bay behind the New James Fisher hide and the two eclipse drake Red-crested Pochards were visible from it. Over two hundred Gadwall and four hundred Tufted Ducks were mingled with Pochard, Wigeon and other waterfowl and there were fifty Great Crested Grebes in the Scaldwell Bay alone.

Numerous family parties of Blackcaps suggested a good year for them and as it warmed up out came the butterflies and dragonflies. A Silver-washed Fritillary was a Pitsford tick for me but individuals have been seen by other observers during the last few years. Dragonflies included Ruddy Darter, Brown Hawker, Four Spotted Chaser, Blue Emperor, Southern Hawker and a freshly emerged Migrant Hawker (my first one of the year).

I didn't see much different in the bird camp apart from a Yellow-legged Gull  and three Kingfishers until reaching the area around the Fishing Lodge where there was at least one Crossbill in the trees and a delightful family party of Spotted Flycatchers.

Elsewhere and an Osprey was seen fishing on the Elinor trout lake at Thrapston Pits this morning and Summer Leys hosted three Great White Egrets, two Green Sandpipers and a Common Sandpiper. Four Crossbills and several Siskins were at Bucknell Wood today courtesy of Andrew Cook and the butterflies included several Silver-washed Fritillaries including one of the 'valezina' form, a White Admiral, Purple Hairstreak and Wood White.

A ringing session at Stortons Pits this morning provided fifty-seven new birds and six re-traps which included fifteen Reed Warblers, eleven Blackcaps, five Whitethroats and a Cetti's Warbler. One of the Reed Warblers was bearing a Portuguese ring and was the same bird caught at Stortons on 6th July last year.

Regards

Neil M

Just-emerged Migrant Hawker.

Comma.

Juvenile Cetti's Warbler
courtesy of Chris Payne.

The Reed Warbler bearing
a Portuguese ring.
Image courtesy of
Chris Payne.

Treecreeper courtesy
of Chris Payne.

Summer's wildlife

Hello

A late morning visit to Pitsford Reservoir provided an opportunity to walk down to the Bird Club Hide in the Scaldwell Bay. The two drake Red-crested Pochard swam out of the waterside vegetation at one point and the concentration of moulting ducks there included four Wigeon. Newly-hatched Great Crested Grebe chicks ensure that quite a number of pairs have bred on-site and the Oystercatcher pair are feeding a chick or chicks. Two Yellow-legged Gulls sat atop their buoys, a Green Sandpiper was in the margins and other birds included a Hobby and a Grey Wagtail. Four Black-tailed Godwits were seen in flight over the Scaldwell Bay this afternoon. Odonata included Blue Emperor and Ruddy Darter.

Earls Barton Pits as usual provided some interesting sightings with the Summer Leys reserve attracting a flock of thirteen Black-tailed Godwits late morning, two Great White Egrets and a Common Sandpiper. However Alan Coles saw what can only be an interesting if unidentified small heron/bittern species in flight at Quarry Walk which flew east towards Summer Leys...time will tell if this bird is tracked down to confirm the identity.

At least one Crossbill was at Bucknell Wood today and butterflies included a Wood White, Purple Hairstreaks and Silver-washed Fritillaries. Clouded Yellow butterflies were reported at Roade, Mary's Lake at Earls Barton and Little Harrowden churchyard today.

Regards

Neil M

Common Toadflax.

Brimstone moth.

Dusky Sallow.

Phasia hemiptera courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Nearly ready to go!
Two juvenile Swifts in
the nest courtesy of
 John Hunt.

A day of rescues!

Hello

Our customary outing to Harrington Airfield this morning was made a little more interesting when I found a rather bedraggled Common Buzzard on the ground in a field and seemingly unable to fly. After bringing it back home and giving it the run of the utility room it dried off and looked a little better. I whizzed out in my car to find some road kill for it but the usual spots with rabbit casualties were free of corpses so prime beef and combed dog hair (for roughage) was offered up and ignored. The buzzard demonstrated that it might be able to fly a little and smashed one of Eleanor's new Pyrex dishes with it's flapping! After allowing it more space in the lounge and seeing that it could definitely commit to several wing flaps our raptor friend was driven back to Harrington and successfully released! In the meantime a Starling managed to fall down the chimney at home and had to be extracted by removing the gas fire and successfully released so for some reason Sunday 19th July was very much a day of rescues! The dogs will eat well tonight with the snubbed beef steak!

A 'reeling' Grasshopper Warbler was again near Bunker One at Harrington, a Meadow Pipit may be a wanderer from the the small Brampton Valley breeding population as opposed to an early autumnal migrant and at least two young Ravens were about. A first summer Common Gull over Hanging Houghton was the first one I've seen in the county since the spring. Fiona's moth trap at Hanging Houghton caught plenty of specimens overnight and it took her the morning to properly identify and catalogue them all.

Steve's daily early morning visit to Stanwick Pits coincided with eleven Black-tailed Godwits sharing the main lake with a Redshank, a Green Sandpiper and a Common Sandpiper and then two more Black-tailed Godwits flying through.

Adrian's list of birds at Hollowell Reservoir included the Ruddy Shelduck, a Great White Egret, an Osprey, three Dunlin, two Common Sandpipers, a Redshank, a Little Ringed Plover, a Yellow-legged Gull and a Raven.

Birds to the north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon included two drake Red-crested Pochards and an adult Yellow-legged Gull. A Birdguides report of a Honey Buzzard was of an individual passing north over Islip at 5.10pm.

The singing male Willow Tit photographed poorly in the Brampton Valley yesterday evening appears to be bearing a ring and is suspected to be the same individual ringed at Brixworth earlier this year (and still the only individual I have encountered anywhere in the county during 2020). Is anybody else out there seeing them?

A pair of Spotted Flycatchers at Lamport Hall were accompanying at least three fledged juveniles this afternoon.

Regards

Neil M

Gatekeepers or Hedge Browns.

Marsh Tit.

Elephant Hawk-moth.

Ruby Tiger.

Poplar Hawk-moth.

Bufftip.

Common Buzzard.

Saturday's sightings

Hello

The return of the Spoonbill to Earls Barton Pits this morning provided joy and sorrow as it permitted close views on the wader scrape on the Summer Leys reserve before moving to Hardwater Lake and then flying off before all would-be observers had arrived.

Other birds at Summer Leys included one of the juvenile Black-necked Grebes and a Spotted Flycatcher and there was a Great White Egret and a Green Sandpiper at Hardwater Lake early this morning.

Stanwick Pits attracted four Cattle Egrets on the north lake this morning and this afternoon there were three different Mediterranean Gulls and eleven Yellow-legged Gulls.

Birds at Pitsford Reservoir today included three Yellow-legged Gulls and a drake Goldeneye (probably the same bird has been turning up in July for nearly ten years), a Green Sandpiper and the large flock of moulting Gadwall. Nearby Hollowell Reservoir continues to host the female Ruddy Shelduck plus a Green Sandpiper and two Common Sandpipers.

A flock of twenty-one Crossbills were at Bucknell Wood today and a Dark Green Fritillary was found in a meadow next to Salcey Forest.

The pair of Spotted Flycatchers at New Covert, Kelmarsh were feeding fledged young today.

A walk along the Brampton Valley between Hanging Houghton and Brixworth this evening produced a rare beast in the shape of at least one Willow Tit which was in the company of at least two Marsh Tits.

Regards

Neil M

Spoonbill.

Spotted Flycatcher.

Crossbill.

Brixworth ringing.

Hello

A warm and sunny summer's day and much of it was taken up with a ringing session at Brixworth Water Treatment Works where a small team managed to catch and process 111 birds of 20 species. 

Warblers completely dominated the session with 24 Chiffchaffs, 3 Willow Warblers, 11 Reed Warblers, 7 Sedge Warblers, 13 Blackcaps, 10 Common Whitethroats and singles of Garden Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat. Other birds included a Pied Wagtail, 3 Song Thrushes, 3 Magpies and singles of Reed Bunting and Yellowhammer. Five Grey Wagtails evaded the nets and a Kingfisher flew through.

Eleanor completed an early morning walk at Harrington Airfield this morning seeing the long-staying male Common Redstart, hearing a 'reeling' Grasshopper Warbler near Bunker One, and seeing a silent adult Cuckoo and 2 Crossbills and 4 Siskins flying over.

A Crossbill was heard flying over Brackley this morning and the Earls Barton Pits complex hosted a single Black-necked Grebe and a Dunlin on Summer Leys LNR and this evening a Spoonbill initially at Summer Leys and latterly at Hardwater Lake.

The Peregrine was again on it's church spire in Market Harborough town centre this fine evening.

Regards

Neil M

The diminutive Chiffchaff, one
of the most common birds
ringed in the UK.
Image courtesy of John Tilly.

Sedge Warbler courtesy of
Lynne Barnett.

Common Whitethroat
courtesy of Lynne Barnett.

Pitsford Reservoir day tour

Hello

Today was another Natutretrek day trip to the Wildlife Trust reserve at Pitsford Reservoir. After meeting at 9am, Mischa provided some eleven specimens from the moth trap to examine before they were given their liberty and included a Bufftip which was recently voted as Britain's favourite moth!

We then took a slow walk around the reserve in initially breezy, grey conditions but this gradually gave way to an increase in temperature and then some lovely periods of sunshine. Ringlets were the first butterflies to put in an appearance followed by the whites and in the end we saw 16 different species with a couple of examples of Marbled White and lots of pristine Peacocks, Red Admirals and one small area with several bright Commas.

The best bird was a stunning adult male Common Redstart that was using the perimeter fence between the Holcot and Walgrave Bays about 400m east of the Old Walgrave Road as it's feeding perch with sallies down to the ground and adjacent plantation.

Clouds of Common Blue Damselflies lifted out of the grass as we progressed and we saw a couple of Common Toadlets. The Walgrave Bay hosted at least three Little Egrets and a Hobby and by this time Ruddy and Common Darters were on the wing and the small pools at the bottom of the bay was good for Four-spotted Chaser, Emerald Damselfly and Blue Emperor with occasional glimpses of Brown Hawkers and Black-tailed Skimmers. A male Muntjac barked at us and we heard quite a few Marsh Tits without properly seeing any of them!

There were rather more birds in the Scaldwell Bay where Mischa rescued a Common Tern chick and placed it in the raft it needs to remain in for a little longer before trying to fly again! Rafts of feeding Coots included plenty of Gadwall and two small broods of Tufted Ducks were present. A Southern Hawker dragonfly posed nicely and a Black-tailed Godwit was on the shoreline between the Bird Club and Maytrees Hides.

Stanwick enjoyed a variety of birds today with two mobile Great White Egrets, two Cattle Egrets, a Black-tailed Godwit, two Redshanks, two Little Ringed Plovers, a Common Sandpiper, a Whimbrel (that subsequently flew off), a Yellow-legged Gull and a Turtle Dove that flew east.

One of the Black-necked Grebes was still at Summer Leys LNR today plus a Dunlin on Round Island and two Great White Egrets flew SW at Stanford Reservoir this morning.

Regards

Neil M

Adult male Common Redstart...sorry it's
a bit distant!

Emerald Damselfly.

Four spotted Chaser probably
of the form 'praenublia'.

Gatekeeper or if you
prefer the old name -
Hedge Brown!

Ringlet.

Ruddy Darter.

Southern Hawker.

All images taken at Pitsford
Reservoir today.

Dull and damp Wednesday

Hello

Yesterday (Tuesday) Chris Payne committed to some solo ringing near Greens Norton and processed over a hundred birds. Great Tits and Blue Tits dominated but other birds included three Blackcaps, five Chiffchaffs, a Treecreeper, a Goldfinch and five Great Spotted Woodpeckers.

Yesterday evening John Hunt was standing in his Spratton garden admiring the Swifts flying around and was pleased to see a Barn Owl checking out the garden meadow. As he stood there the Barn Owl flew towards him and landed on his head for a couple of seconds! It then flew around and went to land on his head again, only thwarted as John tried to photograph the event!

Today (Wednesday) and birds at Pitsford Reservoir included Spotted Flycatchers, a Grey Wagtail, a Common Sandpiper and a Green Sandpiper at the south end and two Yellow-legged Gulls and three Common Sandpipers and over two hundred Gadwall on the reserve north of the causeway.

Birds at Stanwick Pits included a Whimbrel flying over in a south westerly direction and a Cattle Egret which flew east as well as a Yellow-legged Gull.

In the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton a pair of Grey Partridges still had their two young, there was a Barn Owl and a Little Owl and mammals active this evening included a Badger, a Muntjac with a brief view of an Otter again.

Two Siskins flew over Harrington Airfield this morning and a Grasshopper Warbler was 'reeling' near Bunker One; five Grey Wagtails were at Brixworth Water Treatment Works.

I did't see the Otter at Market Harborough this evening but the Peregrine was present on the church spire in the town centre.

Regards

Neil M

Treecreeper courtesy
of Chris Payne.

Wood Wasp or Horntail
courtesy of David Arden.

Kite-tailed Robber Fly
courtesy of Robin Gossage.

The wildlife of mid July

Hello

Evening birds for yesterday (Monday) included the male Common Redstart still at Harrington Airfield, a Crossbill in Denton Wood (Yardley Chase) and two Curlew and a Common Sandpiper at Earls Barton Pits. A Black-tailed Godwit over Far Cotton, Northampton was detected audibly after dark.

Some time spent at the south end of Pitsford Reservoir this morning (Tuesday) provided observations of a fishing Osprey, a Common Sandpiper, three Yellow-legged Gulls, three Siskins, a pair of Spotted Flycatchers (sadly without young), a Kingfisher, a couple of Little Egrets and at least two Grey Wagtails. Two Stoats were patrolling the perimeter of the Sailing Club grounds causing the birds to be on high alert.

Stanwick Pits provided early morning views of two Cattle Egrets and a Redshank on the Main Lake and this evening a Little Tern was seen initially on the main lake and latterly on the Visitor Centre lake.

At Summer Leys LNR the two juvenile Black-necked Grebes remained in situ as did three Common Redstarts on a private track between Brockhall and Little Brington (present for at least three days). The Common Redstart was still at Harrington Airfield today, this time perhaps a little closer to Bunker One and a Hobby was seen there.

Hollowell Reservoir sported the female Ruddy Shelduck still and a couple of Little Ringed Plovers and late news for yesterday (via Birdguides) was of three White Storks seen in flight at Long Buckby which headed west in the morning.

Neil Hasdell has kindly completed maps for Hollowell and Ravensthorpe Reservoirs and updated the map for Pitsford Reservoir and these can be found on the 'Birdwatching Site Maps' Tab. More maps will follow in due course once site checks have been completed and accuracy is assured.

Regards

Neil M

Stoat on the hunt.

Common Terns at Pitsford
Reservoir yesterday - images
courtesy of Dave Jackson.

 The youngster became waterlogged
and seemingly didn't have the strength to
extract itself from the clingy
surface vegetation. Once extracted
and placed on the stump the adults
continued to feed it and Dave has
captured one of the adults with a
very small Pike as prey - something
I saw myself last week but wasn't
 quick enough to photograph!

Pitsford ringing.

Hello

Some bird ringing at Pitsford Reservoir using mist nets at the Old Scaldwell Road yesterday afternoon and this morning provided 63 captures of 12 species. This was made up of 18 Blue Tits, 16 Great Tits, 13 Tree Sparrows (12 juveniles, one adult), 3 Mallard ducklings, 3 Wrens, 2 Willow Warblers, a Chiffchaff, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Garden Warbler, 2 Dunnocks, 2 Reed Buntings and a Greenfinch. Birds noted included two Kingfishers, a couple of migrant Sedge Warblers, two Yellow-legged Gulls and a fly-over Osprey. Butterflies included Marbled White and Small Copper plus several Black-tailed Skimmers bombing about.

At Earls Barton Pits this morning there were two Great White Egrets at Hardwater Lake and the two juvenile Black-necked Grebes were on Summer Leys LNR.

A sweep for butterflies at Fermyn Woods today provided Purple Hairstreaks, Silver-washed Fritillaries, a couple of White Admirals and Hummingbird Hawk-moth and Weekly Hall Woods produced sightings of Purple Hairstreak and Silver-washed Fritillary. A Hummingbird Hawk-moth was in our garden on the buddleia this afternoon alongside Red Admiral and pristine fresh Peacock butterflies.

Regards

Neil M

Juvenile Lesser Whitethroat.

Juvenile Tree Sparrows.

Ringing day

Hello

This morning and the male Common Redstart was again at Harrington Airfield close to the chippings compound with a Grasshopper Warbler reeling at Bunker One.

The two now rather long-staying juvenile Black-necked Grebes were seen at Summer Leys LNR this morning and a Mandarin Duck was found at Kinewell Lake, Ringstead Pits.

A dead Barn Owl was found at Pitsford Reservoir today having been predated by something. It was a ringed bird so we will learn more of it's history but preliminary details suggested it was ringed as a nestling in 2017.

Northants Ringing Group ringers were very active today and Nick Wood performed a solo effort at Chase Park Farm, Yardley Chase where five and a half hours work provided 31 birds of 12 species made up of 2 Bullfinches, 6 Blue Tits, 3 Great Tits, 2 Common Whitethroats, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 5 Blackcaps, 2 Garden Warblers, a Willow Warbler, 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Blackbirds, 2 Dunnocks and a Robin.

At Linford Lakes Helen and Kenny worked the nets to capture 90 birds of 20 species, 82 of which were newly ringed. The warblers provided the most interest apart from a juvenile Marsh Tit which is a rare encounter on-site. The warblers were made up of 10 Chiffchaffs, 6 Willow Warblers, 7 Whitethroats, 13 Blackcaps, 6 Garden Warblers, 9 Reed Warblers and 2 Cetti's Warblers (one of which had already been previously ringed elsewhere).

A small team operating at Stortons Pits today processed 64 birds of 16 species, 55 of which were birds not previously encountered. Again warblers dominated with 6 Chiffchaffs, 2 Willow Warblers, 4 Whitethroats, 18 Blackcaps, 3 Garden Warblers, a Sedge Warbler, 15 Reed Warblers and 2 Cetti's Warblers - one of which was a male first ringed in 2016 and subsequently re-captured in 2018 and 2019.

Regards

Neil M

Marsh Tit courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

Caloptilla alchimiella.

Endotricha flammealis.

Ephiattes manifestator.

Insect images courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

The wonders of nature

After the recent wet and windy weather I was rather hoping that a few new birds would pop their heads out. But that does not seem to be the case. The two juv Black Necked Grebes and a few Black Tailed Godwits remain at Summer Leys, female Ruddy Shelduck at Hollowell and Crossbills around the car park area at Wakerley Wood. This has always been a favourite haunt for Crossbills and usually they are very easy to locate as they are quite vocal and quite noisy eaters as they munch on the cones. 

I visited Harrington Airfield yesterday and finally managed to see the male Common Redstart which frequents the bushes between the chipping compound and the first bunker. Prior to this I had heard it calling and watched the vegetation move as it flitted through the bushes.  There was a Barn Owl out hunting and 7 Crossbills and 2 Siskins flying over.
Today I went to Pitsford Reservoir. I didn't spend too long around the big side as it was extremely busy with people.  At least 2 Common Sandpipers were flying around and an Osprey made a short appearance.    It was nice to escape to the peace and quiet of the small side north of the causeway.  Plenty of birds around including 2 Little Egrets doing a good job of hiding themselves in the reeds. The male Red Crested Pochard remains in the back of the Scaldwell bay and i noticed at least 4 Wigeon.  
There was a large raft of  " aythya" ducks of which there were over 230 Tufted Duck which is a good number for this time of year and always worth a close look just incase there is something more interesting among them.

It seems that all the young birds are out and about. Our garden is full of young Goldfinches, Starlings and Jackdaws. In the morning just after first light we often have 50 Jackdaws feeding, most of them youngsters and very vocal. I certainly do not need an alarm clock with these but I do wonder how popular we are with our neighbours !!    The warblers seem to have had a successful year as lots of young Blackcap, Whitethroat and Willow Warblers about.
I was pleased to see that my two families of Grey Partridge are still intact, fingers crossed, as I think that they always seem to struggle.
At Pitsford it was quite entertaining to watch the young Black Headed Gulls and Common Terns, both species giving their respective parents grief.

One of my highlights today was when I was out running early this morning. I heard something which I haven't heard for a while, the begging call of a Tawny Owl. So after a slight deviation from my route I located 2 young Tawny Owls looking at me from the safety of a big oak tree.
The other highlight of my day came this evening . I had a very excited message from a friend who had just seen an Otter. This confirmed my suspicions as I had seen signs of activity over the last couple of days.  I walked that way this evening and if I'm honest didn't expect to see anything but I managed to see it as it swam along the brook.  Amazing , and just as I'm recovering from this encounter a Barn Owl appeared a literally flew at head height seemingly oblivious to me standing there.

Regards Eleanor