A very hot Sunday

Hello

A more modest ringing session took place at Harrington Airfield eary this morning, the heat of the day ensuring it was a great deal shorter than usual. Forty-five birds were processed, the majority being new birds and including two Lesser Whitethroats, thirteen Common Whitethroats, a few Blackcaps, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs. Two of the Willow Warblers were first ringed in 2019, an adult in the April of that year and a juvenile from the August. Other birds encountered included six Swallows; the Marbled Whites were in good form and other butterflies included Gatekeepers and Small Skippers. A reeling Grasshopper Warbler was reported later and yesterday Pete Gilbert photographed several Six-belted Clearwing Moths on-site.

Yesterday an Osprey was seen in flight over Fermyn Wood in the afternoon and today two Cattle Egrets were on the main pit at Stanwick Pits. A first summer Caspian Gull was reported off the A5 at pools near Lilbourne late this morning and excellent garden birding in a Pitsford village garden saw a female Common Redstart mobbing a Little Owl with other birds this morning.

At Salcey Forest there were five Purple Emperors and a few Purple Hairstreaks active today.

Regards

Neil M

Six-belted Clearwing moths
courtesy of Pete Gilbert.

Whimbrel courtesy of
Dave Jackson.

Red-necked Phalarope courtesy
of Dave Jackson.

Harrington Airfield ringing

Hello

The anticipated heat has arrived and it was actually warm at Harrington Airfield at 4am this morning! The planned ringing session went ahead there but with an early finish and plans to reconvene there tomorrow.

We encountered 17 species and processed a total of ninety-six birds, only nine of which were ringed birds from previous visits. Not surprisingly many of the birds were youngsters hatched this year. Highlights were probably a re-trapped male Sparrowhawk that is a two year old bird first ringed in February this year and an adult female Common Redstart in full moult and virtually minus all it's tail and most of the flight feathers - I think she will be on-site for quite a while! Other birds included sixteen Common Whitethroats, two Lesser Whitethroats, a sprinkling of Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs plus a few Blackcaps, Swallows and juvenile Linnets and Yellowhammers.

A juvenile female Peregrine flew very low over the old airfield moving west early this morning and Marbled White butterflies were out in good numbers.

A ringing session at Stortons Pits yesterday caught the usual suspects, probably the highlight being a Common Whitethroat first ringed in June 2020.

Birding at Earls Barton Pits this morning provided a Wood Sandpiper which subsequently flew high and may have left, a Greenshank, a Green Sandpiper, a Dunlin and a reeling Grasshopper Warbler. Three Marbled Whites were at Earls Barton New Workings alongside the A45 50m east of the Ecton SF eastern boundary. Salcey Forest hosted a Purple Emperor today plus a 'valezina' form of Slver-washed Fritillary.

A sub-adult Caspian Gull and two Yellow-legged Gulls were showing off the A5 on the pools between DIRFT3 and Lilbourne late this morning and waders there included a Greenshank, a Dunlin and a Common Sandpiper.

Regards

Neil M

Swallow courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Woodpigeon courtesy of
John Tilly.

Storm Petrels on Skokholm
courtesy of Chris Payne.

Skokholm sunset
courtesy of Chris Payne.

It's warming up!

Hello

I forgot to mention that yesterday morning there was still a Peregrine resting on the spire of St Dionysius Church at Market Harborough. It's amazing how many people look skyward when they see you looking up!

Sadly the Hedgehog from last night or one of it's clan was lying dead in the road early this morning - no doubt the result of don't care less driving or even worse, don't even see what they are squashing as they are driving along!

Eleanor found the moulting male Common Redstart at Blueberry Farm (Maidwell) this morning but couldn't find the others from yesterday. Four Crossbills were flying around fairly aimlessly at the top of Blueberry Hill - they seem to be in short supply this summer.

This afternoon a female Common Redstart was near the chipping compound at Harrington Airfield and there was a good number of Marbled Whites in much the same area - the rough strip leading from the compound towards Bunker One. The rough strip encompassing the three bunkers and the strip down to the concrete track is subject to restricted access tomorrow and Sunday due to ringing operations.

The Purple Emperor butterflies at Fermyn Wood seemingly played the same trick again as yesterday, at least nine were showing well in the morning but they had largely disappeared from view by midday. A few Purple Hairstreaks and a single White Admiral was seen too. A Silver-washed Fritillary at Irchester Country Park was a good record.

A Pied Flycatcher reported at Bucknell Wood today is another good record, presumably a bird already moving south from north/western breeding grounds. A Spotted Flycatcher was in Hanging Houghton village again today.

Regards

Neil M

Small Skipper.

Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet.

Great Pied Hoverfly.

Mute Swan with cygnets.

Common Buzzard.

Common Redstarts, butterflies and Hedgehog

Hello

A grey, breezy but yet humid day gave way to sunshine on a few occasions with butterflies showing each time the sun shone, but they were mostly absent during the dull times.

The Fermyn Wood complex provided great views of Purple Emperor in the morning but they pretty much disappeared during the afternoon. Three White Admirals and a Silver-washed Fritillary were in rides between the country park and the main wood. Marbled Whites were common but mobile in Fermyn Wood Country Park.

This morning there were at least four Common Redstarts in a roving tit/warbler flock at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell from the footpath that leads from Blueberry Lodge up to Blueberry Hill. One of the Redstarts was a moulting male and at least two of the others were juveniles, suggesting a mobile family unit.

A Spotted Flycatcher was again in Hanging Houghton village and two Yellow-legged Gulls were off the dam at Pitsford Reservoir this evening.

At Earls Barton Pits today waders were visible on the Hardwater Lake and also the Summer Leys reserve and included four Black-tailed Godwits, four Little Ringed Plovers, two Common Sandpipers plus a Great White Egret.

Regards

Neil M

Purple Emperor today at Fermyn
Wood courtesy of Fiona Barclay.
The first image is of the butterfly
on Fiona's shoulder!

Small Tortoiseshell courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Hedgehog in the front
garden this evening.

Skokholm encounters

Hello

At Pitsford Reservoir today David Arden located a White Admiral butterfly and some Purple Hairstreaks in the Walgrave Bay. This afternoon there was an adult Spotted Flycatcher near the Fishing Lodge and a moulting adult male Goldeneye was in the Scaldwell Bay (surely the same individual that arrives in July every year). Marbled Whites were on the wing at Hanging Houghton and Purple Emperor and Silver-washed Fritillary were on view at Salcey Forest.

Nick saw eight Green Sandpipers at Deene Park Lake today and a Cattle Egret was seen early this morning at Stanwick Pits. A Barn Owl and a Little Owl were again near Hanging Houghton this evening.

Our regular visits to Harrington Airfield have been very quiet of late and again this morning there was nothing of note again. Two days of bird ringing will be occurring at this site at the weekend when the bunkers and old airstrip will be out of bounds - the concrete track and footpaths are unaffected.

A small Northants Ringing Group contingent is currently on the island of Skokholm off the Pembrokeshire coast and they are busy helping out the wardens conducting seabird monitoring and ringing. Last night they processed over two hundred Storm Petrels and look to be catching more tonight. Nocturnal catching the last two nights included plenty of Manx Shearwaters and other birds ringed during the day included Puffins, Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Water Rail.

Regards

Neil M

Part of a group of about a
dozen Brown Hares near
Lamport in recent days,
image courtesy of Bill Draper.

Storm Petrel.

Water Rail.

Puffling!

Adult Puffin.

Skokholm images courtesy
of Chris Payne and Kenny
Cramer.

Flying machines

Hello

A few birds noted around the village here at Hanging Houghton - yesterday evening a Little Owl was seen on the outskirts and Barn Owl and Tawny Owls were vocal in the village last night. This morning and at least one vocal Spotted Flycatcher was in trees on the village green and later in the morning two Grey Wagtails flew over south.

Eric struggled to find much out of the ordinary at Thrapston Pits today but the vocal Ring-necked Parakeet was still present. The current A5 hotspot near Lilbourne with the roadside pools near to the DIRFT3 complex was the venue for a possible first summer Baltic Gull early this afternoon and the Wood Sandpiper was still present.

Despite the initial dull conditions, a few Purple Emperor butterflies were on show at Fermyn Wood this morning.

A congregation of waders and egrets at Earls Barton Pits this evening included a Common Sandpiper, a Wood Sandpiper, two Little Ringed Plovers, two Black-tailed Godwits, a Great White Egret and twelve Little Egrets.

An evening walk from Maidwell and through the Dale Farm and Blueberry Farm complexes and then back down through the Brampton Valley to Hanging Houghton was quite productive. A Spotted Flycatcher, a family of Yellow Wagtails, three Grey Partridges and a gathering of Black-tailed Skimmers on an equestrian water jump were probably the best at Dale Farm, and Blueberry Farm held a Common Redstart and at least one Hobby. A colony of Purple Hairstreaks were discovered in a field hedgeline in oaks and ash in the valley and where another pair of Grey Partridge were encountered with another calling Spotted Flycatcher in the oak wood on the Brampton Valley Way. Gone are the days when I would have walked through three Willow Tit territories on that same walk!

The images and video below are courtesy of Lewis Aaron and depict some of the House Martins and Swifts at Lamport Hall yesterday evening.

Regards

Neil M

Birds of Lamport Hall.

Hello

Birds of particular interest are a bit few and far between at the moment but Nick Parker found an adult Yellow-legged Gull on the Elinor Lake at Thrapston Pits today and there were four at Pitsford Reservoir (three by the dam and one north of the causeway).

A Wood Sandpiper was reported on the A5 pools between Lilbourne and the DIRFT3 complex early this afternoon.

At Earls Barton Pits this evening there were two Great White Egrets and a Common Sandpiper at the east end of Hardwater Lake with two Little Ringed Plovers on the Summer Leys LNR.

A ringing session at Lamport Hall this evening provided an opportunity to process seven Swifts, twenty-seven House Martins and two Swallows. Two of the House Martins were first ringed in 2018 and 2019. A Hobby made several passes, a Barn Owl was mobbed by a large gull and a Little Owl was heard calling.

Regards

Neil M

Comma.

Egyptian Geese.

A rather large
Common Toad.

More Iceland images

Hello

A few more birds filtering back through Northants today including seven Black-tailed Godwits at Clifford Hill Pits (plus a Barnacle Goose), three Great White Egrets at Summer Leys LNR and a Marsh Harrier in flight over Moulton, heading north. Fishing Ospreys were seen at Pitsford Reservoir in the Scaldwell Bay this afternoon and one this evening at Hollowell Reservoir (with a Common Sandpiper on the dam).

Some more images from Dave Jackson from what sounds like a very successful Naturetrek tour in Iceland...

Regards

Neil M

Great Northern Diver.

Slavonian Grebe.

Whimbrel.

Humpback Whale.

Mid-summer county wildlife.

Hello

This morning's birds in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton included the usual Barn Owl but also an adult male Peregrine.

At Pitsford Reservoir this morning there was a juvenile Redshank on the dam and three Yellow-legged Gulls on the buoys; a further Yellow-legged Gull was north of the causeway. Marbled White butterflies were active in the meadow between the causeway and Maytrees Hide.

Five Black-tailed Godwits were at Summer Leys LNR this morning.

Butterfly sightings in the county were dominated by Purple Emperors with a couple at Salcey Forest and as many as twenty in the Fermyn/Souther/Lady Wood complex. Three late Black Hairstreak butterflies were seen at Fermyn Wood and Wood Whites were on the wing in small numbers at Salcey Forest.

Regards

Neil M

Emerald Damselfly.

Marbled White.

Ruddy Darter.

Marsh Tit.

Otter.

Summer bird ringing

Hello

Today's weather was perfect for mist-netting and John Woollett and John Boland spent some time at Stortons Pits this morning and processed fifty-five birds from just four nets, with juvenile warblers making up much of the catch. Highlights included a Willow Warbler, two Chiffchaffs, nine Reed Warblers, seven Sedge Warblers, twelve Blackcaps, three Garden Warblers, a Lesser Whitethroat and six Common Whitethroats.

At Brixworth Water Treatment Works a slightly bigger team encountered ninety-three birds of twenty species - the captures also included warblers in the shape of a Willow Warbler, three Chiffchaffs, a Sedge Warbler, seven Common Whitethroats and ten Blackcaps. Three Great Spotted Woodpeckers added some noise and colour with twelve Starlings adding further charisma. We enjoyed processing twenty-one Swallows which included flying first brood birds, a single House Martin, two Pied Wagtails and five Grey Wagtails.

Interesting birds on-site included a Hobby, a Raven and a juvenile Cuckoo.

Birds on show at Thrapston Pits today included an Osprey watching over Elinor (trout fishing) lake.

A calling Spotted Flycatcher at Hanging Houghton suggests there are a clandestine pair in the village and this evening both Barn Owl and Little Owl were on show in the Brampton Valley below the village.

This morning an assortment of gulls off the A5 near to DIRFT3 and Lilbourne included at least four Caspian Gulls (a third summer and at least three first summers) and at least a dozen Yellow-legged Gulls.

Regards

Neil M

Juvenile Cuckoo.

Many of the Red Kites
are looking tatty now
as they undergo their
summer moult.

Garden Warbler.

Raven.

Pitsford CBC

Hello

Although it was grey and drizzly to begin with, I committed to another Common Bird Census on the reserve at Pitsford Reservoir today. Already there was evidence of autumn passage with at least four Common Sandpipers (possibly seven), a Greenshank and a Black-tailed Godwit - these are already returning post-breeding waders from the north. There were few other birds of note but the nestful of young Spotted Flycatchers are progressing nicely.

It was also a bioblitz day on the reserve with the area around the covert being selected for today's attention. Pheremone lures brought in Hornet Clearwing and Orange-tailed Clearwing moths and dancing butterflies in the sun when it did come out included a few Marbled Whites. Odonata included Black-tailed Skimmer, Southern Hawker, Common Darter, Emerald Damselfly and Beautiful Demoiselle.

The first brood of Great Crested Grebes were out and Coots seem to have had a good year with quite a number of half-grown youngsters around the reservoir. The water level is currently being artificially kept high with water being pumped in from elsewhere - not great news if you wanted to witness significant wader passage at Pitsford this autumn!

Eric's visit to the Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston Pits didn't reveal much out of the ordinary but several female Tufted Ducks have broods of ducklings there and the Black-headed Gulls seem to have produced plenty of young there too. A Painted Lady butterfly was on-site.

An evening visit to Kelmarsh Hall provided an adult Spotted Flycatcher feeding fledged young, a Kingfisher and a Common Newt on the path back to the car park.

Regards

Neil M

Cob Mute Swan
at Kelmarsh Hall.

Azure Damselfly.

Mating pair of Scarlet
Tiger moths.