Images from Robin

 

Kestrel.

Little Egret.

Shag.

Kestrel.

Snipe.

Swallow.

Wren.

Grey Phalarope.

Common Tern.

Brown Hare.

All images courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Autumn has come early!

Hello

Yesterday (Monday) a ringing session was undertaken at Linford Lakes on the edge of Milton Keynes. This was a successful session but the sheer amount of quality wildlife on offer was amazing with a Water Shrew being seen as well as Bank Vole, four Common and eight Great Crested Newts, nine Grass Snakes, two Common Toads and two Common Frogs! Birds seen included an Osprey, a Great White Egret, three Green Sandpipers, a Dunlin and two Tree Pipits.

Sixty-nine birds were caught and processed made up of twenty-one Blackcaps, a Whitethroat, twenty-one Reed Warblers, two Sedge Warblers, six Chiffchaffs, four Wrens, eight Blue Tits, two Great Tits, two Long-tailed Tits and two Yellow Wagtails (this latter species is only caught in very low numbers locally).

Also yesterday evening three juvenile Shags could be found at the southern end of Pitsford Reservoir where the gull roost harboured ten Yellow-legged Gulls, half of which were juveniles. Eleanor's visit to the Brampton Valley in the evening very quickly provided views of a Marsh Harrier, two Wheatears and a Whinchat. Other observations during a pleasant, still evening included three Great White Egrets roosting in trees in the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Reservoir and two or three Great White Egrets, two Common Sandpipers and a Green Sandpiper at the Earls Barton Pits complex.

Today (Tuesday) and a predicted wild and wet affair proved to be an accurate forecast! At least two Shags were to be found this morning at the south end of Pitsford Reservoir as were up to five Yellow-legged Gulls and a Swift. A Peregrine was seen over the Moulton Grange Bay and birds still from yesterday included the two Common Redstarts still in the hedge en-route to the Bird Club Hide in the Scaldwell Bay and two Dunlin, a Green Sandpiper and a Ringed Plover on the shoreline. An afternoon Shag number assessment with at least one bird still in the Scaldwell Bay was that five birds were present at the reservoir today.

Chris Green saw two Swifts over Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve today.

Two or three Otters were on show on the swollen River Welland at Market Harborough this morning behind the Waitrose and Aldi supermarkets...

Regards

Neil M

Bank Vole courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

Grass Snakes courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

Yellow Wagtail courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

Otter at Market Harborough today...

Ooops! A Hot Air balloon
made an impromptu landing
on the water at Pitsford Reservoir
yesterday but successfully managed
to lift off and drift away! 

Black-headed Gull
Pitsford Reservoir.

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull
Pitsford Reservoir.

Pitsford WeBS count.

 Hello

It was the turn of Pitsford Reservoir to receive the WeBS count treatment today although there were plenty of wildlife distractions along the way!

A trio of counters wandered in to the Scaldwell Bay first, encountering various local naturalists along this migration throughfare! On the avian front two Common Redstarts (first year male and female) in the hedge on the left hand side en-route to the Bird Club hide pulled in a few observers. The shoreline held a Green Sandpiper (one of two present), two Dunlin, three Snipe and a Ringed Plover and two Redshanks were observed in flight. The Bird Club Hide provided the ideal venue to see a Marsh Harrier flying off into the Walgrave Bay and a Garganey feeding next to the stumps to the left of the hide. Three Great White Egrets were initially all together in the tangles left of the hide but one by one dispersed during the morning.

In the meantime the four juvenile Shags were located by Eleanor swimming around between the dam and Moulton Grange Bay and spectacularly the later total seen by Nick Parker was seven birds! A juvenile Osprey flew south from out of the Scaldwell Bay, two drake Red-crested Pochard were showing distantly in the Walgrave Bay and a single Crossbill flew south over the Fishing Lodge this afternoon. A Painted Lady, a Large Red Underwing moth and a Hummingbird Hawk-moth were around the flowers by the Fishing Lodge and Small Copper, Small Heath and Common Blue were active in the Scaldwell Meadow.

Nearby the Common Redstart count along the footpath between Walgrave village and Pitsford Reservoir went up to five birds this afternoon and two more Common Redstarts were in hedging on the south side of Lamport Hall.

Stanwick Pits today provided two Cattle Egrets and mating Small Red-eyed Damselflies and Clifford Hill Pits produced a Common Sandpiper, a Little Ringed Plover and three Ringed Plovers. Jim Dunkley watched an Osprey fly over his Sywell garden this afternoon, the bird heading for the Nene Valley.

Yesterday evening a Clifden nonpariel (or Blue Underwing) moth was captured at Cogenhoe and also yesterday a Barnacle Goose was seen at Thrapston Pits.

Regards

Neil M

Ditchford Lakes and Meadows reserve.

Garganey Pitsford Reservoir.

Osprey at Pitsford Reservoir.

Migrant Hawker
Pitsford Reservoir.

Hummingbird Hawk-moth
Pitsford Reservoir.

Ditchford WeBS Count

 Hello

Ditchford Pits was the venue for much of the day, completing the August WeBS count. As is usual for this time of the year it was quiet for birds, the best west of Ditchford Lane was an adult female Peregrine with pigeon prey, an Egyptian Goose and two Green Sandpipers.

Cetti's Warblers were dotted about the complex as were common warblers and a couple of Kingfishers and odonata included Small Red-eyed Damselfly.

Pitsford Reservoir continued to attract birds and birders with a juvenile Shag still north of the causeway, plus a Garganey and a Common Redstart, two Great White Egrets, two Ringed Plovers and a Dunlin. To the south of the causeway a Sandwich Tern was seen early in the afternoon and the juvenile Arctic Tern was still present plus four Common Sandpipers. This evening there was a party of four juvenile Shags off the dam and two juvenile Mediterranean Gulls were in the pre-roost gathering. Several Yellow-legged Gulls included an adult with a still begging juvenile in tow!

Nearby a male Common Redstart and a Wheatear were seen along the footpath between Cherry Hill and Pitsford Reservoir next to the small horse paddock. At Stanwick Pits there was a Wheatear and a Whinchat, two Cattle Egrets, two Great White Egrets, two Little Ringed Plovers and a Common Sandpiper with a Spotted Flycatcher at Barnwell CP. A single Wheatear was along the footpath between Collingtree and Blisworth and another individual was west of Little Brington on the track to Brockhall. Two Wheatears were noted at Clifford Hill Pits and Summer Leys LNR today supported two Great White Egrets, two Greenshanks, a Common Sandpiper, a Ruff and a Hobby.

Harrington Airfield this afternoon hosted three Common Redstarts (two between the Chippings Compound and Bunker One), a Wheatear and a Tree Pipit.

Regards

Neil M

Banded Demoiselle.

Juvenile Chiffchaff.

Common Blue Damselflies.

Peregrine with pigeon prey.

Peregrine with Kestrel
and Crow chaperone, but
she kept the pigeon for 
herself.

Small Red-eyed Damselfly.

All above images taken at
Ditchford Pits today.

Juvenile Mediterranean Gull
at Pitsford Reservoir this evening.

Redstarts, ducks and erm a Shag

Hello

This morning I took a walk along the footpath that runs between Walgrave village and Pitsford Reservoir, commencing at Bridle Road Old village and walking east. I was hoping to encounter Common Redstarts at this traditional stop-over site and in due course found four. I spent some time trying to obtain photographic views of two adult males but they were particularly skulking and no photos obtained! A first year male by a small horse paddock and a flighty female were a little easier but didn't permit a close approach.

Next was Pitsford Reservoir which initially seemed quiet but a period of time in the Bird Club Hide overlooking the Scaldwell Bay provided a surprise in the shape of a juvenile Shag which swam past the hide and then out into open water. Two Great White Egrets were present as was an adult Green Sandpiper, two Hobbies and later a Garganey was on show. Other birds of interest included a colour ringed Black-headed Gull and a female Pochard with a nasal saddle - hopefully details of their origin will become known soon! The best of the butterflies were Small Heath and Small Copper.

In the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton there was another Common Redstart, two Whinchats and a Wheatear and another Common Redstart was found at Twywell Hills and Dales in a hedgerow towards Twywell village.

A first year Mediterranean Gull was within a gull flock near Denton this morning and the Summer Leys LNR hosted a juvenile Black Tern, three Great White Egrets, three Greenshanks, a Ruff, two Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper and a Hobby. A Wheatear was at Chelveston Airfield.

This evening the juvenile Shag reappeared at Pitsford Reservoir but this time off the dam before disappearing again. Other birds included between four and six Yellow-legged Gulls, a juvenile Arctic Tern and a Peregrine.

Regards

Neil M

First year male Common Redstart 
Walgrave/Old footpath.

Great Crested Grebes
Pitsford Reservoir.

Female Pochard
Pitsford Reservoir.

Black-headed Gulls in field
adjacent to Pitsford Reservoir
where juvenile Red Kites were
also attracted to the topsoil being
turned by agricultural machinery.

Red Kite.

Juvenile Shag
Pitsford Reservoir.

Pitsford Wildlife

 Hello

An early morning foray to Harrington Airfield today but it was a case of just walking really as the passerines kept low in the strong southerly wind! A juvenile Marsh Harrier immediately made it's presence known as it swept across the top fields and very slowly filtered south into the wind, using the blustery conditions to hunt the field edges as it slowly disappeared towards Lamport. A couple of Ravens and an Osprey similarly had no problem countering the conditions as they moved over the old airfield. An adult Yellow-legged Gull was present and what I suspect is the original Common Redstart was heard calling from bushes between the Chippings Compound and Bunker One.

Pitsford Reservoir today provided views of a Great White Egret, two Garganey, a juvenile Mediterranean Gull, two adult Yellow-legged Gulls, a Hobby, two Green Sandpipers. several Swifts and good numbers of House Martins - most of these birds were noted in the Scaldwell Bay.

At Summer Leys LNR observers notched up a Ruff, a Common Sandpiper and two Great White Egrets and Pied Flycatchers appeared at private sites at Chapel Brampton and Denton Wood - neither afford general public access. Two Whinchats and a Wheatear at Borough Hill Country Park were probably left-overs from yesterday and a Turtle Dove was at another withheld location.

A flock of Yellow Wagtails remain with us at Hanging Houghton, most of the time in the grazing fields with cattle but regularly visiting the lawns in adjacent larger gardens. It is likely that there is a constant flow of birds moving through and so far the maximum flock size has been ten birds but they have to watch out for the regular forays from hunting Sparrowhawks and Hobby that patrol the village daily.

Regards

Neil M

Great Crested Grebe
courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Red Fox courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Brimstone moth
courtesy of Dave Jackson.

Canary-shouldered Thorn
courtesy of Dave Jackson.

Little Grebe
courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Passage passerines

 Hello

With the weather conditions of the last two days including the heavy rain of yesterday and the anticipated sunny weather with a strong southerly breeze, it seemed as if today should produce plenty of interesting passerine migrants. With this is mind I went over to a place I seldom visit these days, Borough Hill Country Park at Daventry. It has to be said that I've predicted 'falls' of migrants on previous days and it hasn't come to much but as I drove into the car park just at 6am this morning and opened the door to hear multiple calls of Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler in a nearby hedge I sensed that I had guessed right this time.

It took me almost an hour to walk slowly south hugging the western hedgeline to cover little more than 300 metres, the numbers of phylloscopus warblers, Lesser and Common Whitethroats and other small birds meant it had to be a methodical process as I didn't want to miss something good! As I reached the southern slope the first Tree Pipit called overhead and continued south and a bird sallied out from the bushes and there was a loud snap of the bill - classic flycatcher behaviour. However I had to wait a good ten minutes before the Pied Flycatcher showed itself again, provided a brief photo opportunity and then disappeared back into the constantly foraging flock of birds.

Juvenile Common Whitethroats were everywhere and possibly outnumbered the Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs. Turning my attention to the more open area, three Whinchats posed nicely on the south-facing rough field but a scan up to the summit proved there to be more birds there. I strode up the gradual incline and another Tree Pipit, a couple of Meadow Pipits and some flushed moulting Skylarks were next. On the brambles were six more Whinchats including an adult male. I then walked in an anti-clockwise direction, finding a Common Redstart and a party of four Spotted Flycatchers in bushes further to the east. Two more Tree Pipits called as they flew over south and more common warblers and Nuthatches were calling from the belt of mature trees

The most easterly hawthorn hedge that traverses the hill is frequently good at attracting interesting birds but today it was quiet. I tried the hedges on the north side next but already the birds were becoming more difficult to see and really I was only finding more common warblers and now butterflies which included Red Admiral and Painted Lady. By the time I was back at the car park it was gone 9am and I needed some liquid refreshment!

In the meantime Eleanor was scouring the fields and hedges of Blueberry Farm and the valley bottom between there and the Brampton Valley Way below Hanging Houghton. Again exciting pulses of birds worked the traditional hedges with lots of common warblers plus three Common Redstarts, at least two Spotted Flycatchers, a Tree Pipit, a Wheatear and two Whinchats. The juvenile Marsh Harrier was still present and finches included four Crossbills and a Siskin over. Several Clouded Yellow butterflies were still on the nectar crop strips.

My next venue was the Woodland Trust reserve of Kentle Wood on the outskirts of Daventry. Rarely visited by birders, this area of scrub and young trees sits on an edge of an escarpment with sweeping views to the west. Lots of large gulls and corvids were the most obvious birds all around but here also there were warblers, mostly hidden in the trees. On my walk around at least two Crossbills overflew the wood and Southern and Migrant Hawkers hunted the plentiful rides. I couldn't help but think what would be found if the rides had mist nets erected in them!

I next visited Cotton End Park at Long Buckby where a pleasant walk through the orchard and meadow led me to the pond at the bottom which is good for odonata. I didn't see anything unusual but enjoyed watching Common Darters, Emerald Damselflies and singles of Blue Emperor and Brown Hawker regularly tussling with each other!

In the meantime Eleanor checked out the regular stop-over site for Common Redstarts which is the footpath that runs on a ridge between Pitsford Reservoir and the villages of Old and Walgrave. Two field hedges in particular prove attractive and today at least four were present which included two adult males together. The easiest access is from Bridle Road, Old where the footpath is well signed. Other birds included a Whinchat and two Spotted Flycatchers.

On my way home I stopped at Ravensthorpe Reservoir and walked around. Large numbers of Migrant Hawkers and Ruddy Darters were active in the strong sunshine. The summering Pink-footed Goose which this year has been at Clifford Hill Pits, Pitsford Reservoir and Hollowell Reservoir was on the dam with Greylags and provided very good photographic opportunities. Gulls were constantly flying in and out and at one stage a juvenile Mediterranean Gull came in to bathe. Other birds included a Spotted Flycatcher, a group of six Grey Wagtails, three Ravens and a Hobby.

A quick foray around the border hedges of Lamport Hall on the south side provided views of a male Common Redstart and two Spotted Flycatchers.

Elsewhere today and other observers noted singles of Ruff and Common and Green Sandpipers at Clifford Hill Pits first thing, a Clouded Yellow butterfly at Yardley Chase, two Great White Egrets and a Green Sandpiper in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir and at Stanwick Pits there were two Great White Egrets, two Green Sandpipers and three Common Sandpipers. A Peregrine was over Westbridge, Northampton today and a Wheatear was an additional find at Borough Hill CP this afternoon, and a Common Redstart may have been a second bird. Another Wheatear was found in a sheep field adjacent to Hellidon Golf Course this afternoon.

Phew and there is still time to find something else!

Regards

Neil M

Willow Warbler Borough Hill.

Willow Warbler meets Chiffchaff
Borough Hill!

Pied Flycatcher
Borough Hill.

Red Admiral
Borough Hill.

Common Darter
Cotton End Park.

Emerald Damselfly
Cotton End Park.

Eclipse drake Mallard
Ravensthorpe Reservoir.

Pink-footed Goose
Ravensthorpe Reservoir.

Ruddy Darter
Ravensthorpe Reservoir.