Greenshanks, a Scaup and a senior Tawny Owl

Hello  

At Stanford Reservoir today two more Grasshopper Warblers were ringed and a Reed Warbler was caught and found to be bearing a Dutch ring. Other birds noted there today included a Greenshank briefly, two Green Sandpipers, two Common Sandpipers, an Oystercatcher, a Hobby and twenty Yellow Wagtails.

At Pitsford Reservoir a ringing session in Christies Copse resulted in over sixty birds finding the nets with much of the catch being previously-ringed Great and Blue Tits - some being this year juveniles from the nestbox scheme on-site and some adults known to be several years old. Eleven Chiffchaffs, a single Willow Warbler and a couple of Blackcaps were also processed but the star bird was an adult Tawny Owl first ringed as an adult on 5th June 2010 and recorded again in August of the same year, in April 2015 and in October last year. This bird is thought to be the local adult male that utilises Christies Copse as part of it's territory and it's likely that the young bird we caught there last week is it's offspring.

Other birds noted at Pitsford Reservoir today included three Black Terns this evening that vacated to the South-West at about 8.05pm, a Garganey, at least one Great White Egret, a Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper, at least two Yellow-legged Gulls, a couple of Ravens and a Kingfisher. Over at Hollowell Reservoir a flock of thirteen Black-tailed Godwits must have looked impressive this afternoon.

In the Nene Valley a fly-through Greenshank at Thrapston Pits further supports that this species was on the move today and other birds there included a Common Sandpiper and a Pink-footed Goose. A Cattle Egret was at Summer Leys LNR this afternoon and a female-type Scaup was a good find on the Deep Water Lake at Clifford Hill Pits where there was also a Goldeneye and a Whimbrel seen flying over.

Three Common Redstarts were at Harrington Airfield, two more were at Blueberry Farm and a single remained at Lamport Hall where only two Spotted Flycatchers could be found. A single Whinchat was seen by one of the nectar strips in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and a Hobby was at Quarry Lane, Hartwell.

A Pectoral Sandpiper at Eyebrook Reservoir just across the border was showing well at the inlet-end today.

Regards

Neil M

This Tawny Owl is in
excess of twelve years old.

Greenshank courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Kestrel courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Migrant Hawk-moths, Redstarts still and a Merlin.

Hello

Another warm if not hot day and we are still lacking rain!

Not much new reported today but at Pitsford Reservoir a juvenile Black Tern was still present around the Old Scaldwell Road with four Great White Egrets, three Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper and a Yellow-legged Gull in the Scaldwell Bay. We have changed the ingredients in the mixed seed bird food we put out for the birds at the Old Feeding Station and the Tree Sparrows and good numbers of Greenfinches seem to appreciate it!

Stanford Reservoir provided two Common Redstarts today (one caught and ringed), a early morning Marsh Harrier, singles of Grasshopper Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher which were both caught and ringed, two Wheatears, two Common Sandpipers, two Green Sandpipers, a Swift, a good gathering of sixteen Yellow Wagtails and a Cetti's Warbler. Two hundred and thirty-nine new birds were ringed there today.

At Hollowell Reservoir today there was a/the female Ruddy Shelduck, a Whinchat and a Common Sandpiper with Borough Hill Country Park still attracting one or two Whinchat(s) and a Wheatear.

An Osprey was at Thrapston Pits for fifteen minutes this afternoon and at Summer Leys LNR there was a Great White Egret, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Hobby and a Water Rail.

Three or four Common Redstarts remain at Harrington Airfield where there was also a Raven and a pair of Grey Partridges and nearby at Lamport Hall there were ten Spotted Flycatchers, a Common Redstart and a hunting male Merlin over nearby fields. Two Ravens were in Hanging Houghton village and a Barn Owl was hunting in the Brampton Valley below the village this evening.

Regards

Neil M

Convolvulus Hawk-moth
courtesy of Jim Dunkley. I like
the alien face on the back of the
second image of the Convolvulus!

Hummingbird Hawk-moth
courtesy of Jim Dunkley.

Jim's Sywell garden has been the place for
migrant Hawk-moths with the locally-rare
Convolvulus turning up in a trap yesterday
morning and up to three Hummingbird
Hawk-moths coming to the shrubs.

Brixworth ringing

Hello

Some ringing at Brixworth Water Treatment Works today yielded seventy-five captures, all new birds except a Blackcap first ringed as a juvenile there last year and a Reed Bunting and a Dunnock first ringed there in 2020. Seventeen Common Whitethroats made this the most common warbler with just one of these being an adult. Eleven Blackcaps were newly-ringed plus a Lesser Whitethroat, nine Chiffchaffs, three Reed Warblers and three Sedge Warblers. Singles of Swallow, Magpie, Song Thrush and Woodpigeon added more diversity and bio-mass and finches included a fine adult male Linnet and six Goldfinches. This is a good place to observe birds of prey with a Hobby regularly showing about once an hour and a first year female Sparrowhawk passed through several times. A Kingfisher was heard at the nearby Brampton Brook and at least six Grey Wagtails were on-site with visitations from Yellow Wagtails during the day.

Birds noted at Pitsford Reservoir today included a Black Tern, a Black-tailed Godwit and a Peregrine with a Whinchat at the Guilsborough Point, Hollowell Reservoir. Stanford Reservoir perhaps had a quieter day today but the ringers were active there and among their birds there were three more Grasshopper Warblers and a Kingfisher. Birds seen included another Kingfisher, two Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper, an Oystercatcher and five Ravens.

In the Nene Valley there was a Black Tern at Stanwick Pits plus a Cattle Egret, a Mandarin Duck, a Dunlin and two Yellow-legged Gulls. A Marsh Harrier, three Black-tailed Godwits and a Greenshank were at Summer Leys LNR this afternoon.

A Spotted Flycatcher was a good local find at Titchmarsh LNR, Thrapston Pits, three Common Redstarts were at Harrington Airfield this morning, two Common Redstarts were at Blueberry Farm and two Whinchats remain in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

A Convulvulus Hawk-moth was a superb capture in Jim's moth trap at Sywell from last night.

Regards

Neil M

Reed Bunting.

Song Thrush.

Painted Lady butterfly.

Redstarts, Black Terns and lots of warblers

Hello

A busy ringing session at Linford Lakes, Milton Keynes on Saturday for Kenny and his small team saw large numbers of warblers hitting the nets as well as some diverse birds too. A Mute Swan decided it wanted some of the action and although successfully ringed it demolished a mist net! A hundred and forty birds of twenty-one species were encountered with nearly all of them being new birds. The Blackcap was the most common with thirty-seven birds followed by twenty-seven Chiffchaffs, seventeen Willow Warblers, nine Reed Warblers, five Garden Warblers, three Common Whitethroats, two Lesser Whitethroats and just a single Sedge Warbler.

Away from the warblers there were singles of Swallow and Kingfisher, two Goldfinches and a Goldcrest and the star bird for many was a first year male Common Redstart.

At Stanford Reservoir today (Monday) there were four Grasshopper Warblers on-site (three caught and ringed), a Common Redstart, three Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper, two Spotted Flycatchers, two Hobbies and ten Ravens.

At Stanwick Pits the juvenile Black Tern was still there this morning and this evening and one of the Black Terns was still at Pitsford Reservoir commuting between the causeway and the Old Scaldwell Road. At Thrapston Pits Elinor Lake attracted an Osprey this afternoon and this morning there were still at least four Common Redstarts and a Wheatear at Harrington Airfield. Nearby there were four Spotted Flycatchers and a Common Redstart at Lamport Hall late morning with still two Whinchats in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

This afternoon a Hobby was watched zooming in on a begging juvenile Linnet which was quickly dispatched near Brixworth where there was also a Grey Wagtail and a Water Rail.

Regards

Neil M

Osprey courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

I really like this image
of a Mandarin Duck plucking
a Blackberry from brambles
at Sixfields Lake courtesy
of Liam Howley.

Common Redstart courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

Ditchford WeBs count

Hello

A week late but time to complete the WeBs count at Ditchford Pits today and as usual I started with the area to the west of Ditchford Lane which these days is rather quiet but in the past has produced some good birds. A calling Corn Bunting which then flew into the ash tree in front of me was not at all predicted! A Tree Sparrow was a little further along, both these species being uncommon in this part of the county. Also west of Ditchford Lane were three Egyptian Geese, an adult Peregrine and several Kingfishers and a couple of Grey Wagtails.

Riverside Park off Wharf Road, Higham Ferrers is generally quiet and it was today so then to the Wilsons Pits complex which had three broods of Tufted Ducks, a monster brood of five Great Crested Grebe youngsters and a smaller brood of Little Grebes. Plenty of dragonflies on the wing (with Migrant Hawkers dominating) but a sad lack of Hobbies. Four Great White Egrets standing together on Delta Pit was good but a keep net positioned in some sedge to trap an Otter wasn't - a ploy by fishermen to trap and kill Otters is to place live fish in a keep net and leave it strategically positioned so the Otter goes in but seemingly can't then clamber out and eventually drowns.

More Kingfishers and a couple more Grey Wagtails were encountered but the only wader on my wanderings was a single Common Sandpiper.

Birds at Stanford Reservoir today included two juvenile Black Terns, a Whinchat, a Common Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper, a Shelduck, two Hobbies, a Spotted Flycatcher and five Swifts. The ringers captured one hundred and ninety-seven new birds which included four Grasshopper Warblers.

The three Black Terns were still at Pitsford Reservoir today, as were four Great White Egrets, six Green Sandpipers, two Common Sandpipers and four Common Snipe.

A Whinchat was noted at Hollowell Reservoir today and two Common Redstarts were still at Harrington Airfield. The Ferruginous Duck wasn't seen at Daventry Country Park this morning but birds there included a Curlew over, a Black-tailed Godwit, at least three Green Sandpipers and at least two Common Sandpipers.

A Wryneck was a great garden find at Plumpton Road, Woodend in South Northants this afternoon and evening! A Cuckoo was between Ecton and Earls Barton today and birds at Summer Leys LNR included a Greenshank, three Black-tailed Godwits, two Green Sandpipers and a Little Ringed Plover.

A Black Tern was still at Stanwick Pits this morning and a Cattle Egret was noted too.

Two Common Redstarts and two Spotted Flycatchers were at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell and two Common Redstarts and eight Spotted Flycatchers were at Lamport Hall.

Regards

Neil M

Coot.

Migrant Hawker.

Wildlife Trust Highland Cow.

Pitsford WeBs count

Hello

Most of the day was spent completing the Pitsford Reservoir WeBs count in rather pleasant weather conditions!

An Osprey was fishing near the dam at about 9am this morning and it or another was fishing in the Walgrave Bay this afternoon. Four or five Great White Egrets were north of the causeway and ducks included five Red-crested Pochards and four Pintail with waders comprising of five Green Sandpipers, four Common Sandpipers and nine Common Snipe. Three Yellow-legged Gulls and forty Common Terns later attracted three Black Terns. Five Kingfishers were busy around the margins as were four Grey Wagtails and two Ravens were foraging along the shoreline. Other birds noted included a Hobby or two and the adult male Common Redstart was still in the hedgeline opposite the Paul Britten bench in the Scaldwell Bay.

The Ferruginous Duck was again seen at Daventry Country Park today as was a Black-tailed Godwit and a Pink-footed Goose. Birds at Stanford Reservoir today included a Great White Egret, a Common Sandpiper, two Green Sandpipers, a Peregrine and a Hobby and the ringing there provided over two hundred new captures which included a Spotted Flycatcher and three Common Redstarts.

Three Black-tailed Godwits and a Greenshank were at Summer Leys LNR this morning and a male Stonechat was seen at Titchmarsh Reserve, Thrapston Pits.

This morning a Common Redstart, four Whinchats, a Wheatear and a Marsh Harrier were all in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton. A male Common Redstart remains at Harrington Airfield - present between Bunker One and the Chipping Compound.

Brown Argus butterflies were on the wing at Salcey Forest today and Hummingbird Hawk-moths still seem to be widespread.

Regards

Neil M

Female Southern Hawker
which today was watched laying eggs
 in soil, moss and reed stems (in the
second image she is ovipositing
into a reed stem).

Evening sky at Harrington Airfield.

Birds of valley, gravel pit and reservoir.

Hello

Rather pleasant weather and temperatures out there today but rather limited reported sightings.

At Stanford Reservoir a flock of seventeen Black-tailed Godwits flew through this morning and other birds noted included a Whinchat, a Spotted Flycatcher, a Peregrine, a Hobby, two Green Sandpipers, two Common Sandpipers, four Snipe, a Swift and a Kingfisher.

At Pitsford Reservoir the birds in the Scaldwell Bay amounted to a Garganey, four Great White Egrets and the male Common Redstart in the field hedge in line with the Paul Britten bench. At Harrington Airfield Paul detected two Common Redstarts in the scrubby areas between the Chippings Compound and Bunker Three. Just five Spotted Flycatchers were on show at Lamport Hall early this afternoon with a Hobby earlier.

A Tree Pipit, a Barn Owl and two Whinchats were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning (the Whinchats still present this evening) with a Raven in the village and birds at Fleetland Farm between Harlestone and Duston also included a Tree Pipit flying over and a Little Owl.

Between six and eight Common Sandpipers were on the Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston Pits today and at Earls Barton Pits there was a Wood Sandpiper on the new workings north of the river and four Black-tailed Godwits, six Common Snipe and a Great White Egret were at Summer Leys LNR.

At Stanwick Pits early this morning the Black Tern was still present plus a Cattle Egret, two Great White Egrets, seven Common Sandpipers and good numbers of Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers.

Regards

Neil M

Common Redstart.

Speckled Wood butterfly.

Brown Hawker dragonfly.

Corizus hyoscanyami
courtesy of Robin Gossage

Long stayers and new birds in

Hello 

Some extra birds for yesterday (Wednesday) included the now long-staying Ferruginous Duck at Daventry Country Park and in the evening Hollowell Reservoir was good for a Black-tailed Godwit, two Ringed Plovers and a Dunlin. At about 7pm a juvenile Marsh Harrier was in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton before flying towards the village and two Whinchats were in an oat crop in the valley.

With only a moderate amount of rain it is quite amazing to see how vegetation, particularly grass, has responded after such a prolonged period of heat and no precipitation, with some grass verges looking quite green again. During the initial drizzle and light rain two evenings ago, Hummingbird Hawk-moths became particularly active and were reported in several places in the county busy nectaring.

Today (Thursday) and the Ferruginous Duck was still at Daventry Country Park, this time in the north-east bay and showing well and an excellent find was a Pied Flycatcher at Hollowell Reservoir at the inlet end off the Guilsborough Road sharing the hedgerow and trees with a Spotted Flycatcher. Other birds noted there this morning were two Dunlin, two Common Snipe, a Common Sandpiper, two Little Ringed Plovers and Meadow Pipit.

In the Nene Valley there was a Black Tern at Stanwick Pits plus a Cattle Egret, two Great White Egrets, a Ruff and two Common Sandpipers and Mary's Lake at Earls Barton hosted a juvenile Wood Sandpiper with adjacent Summer Leys LNR attracting four Black-tailed Godwits, a Ruff and a Great White Egret. Two Ringed Plovers, a Great White Egret and two Water Rails were at the Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve.

Birds of interest on the reserve at Pitsford Reservoir this morning were four Great White Egrets, two Red-crested Pochard, eight Common Snipe, two Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper and the male Common Redstart in the field hedge parallel to the Scaldwell Bay boundary fence opposite the Paul Britten seat.

Two Common Redstarts were still at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this morning with three Whinchats nearby and a Marsh Harrier, a Wheatear. two Whinchats and a couple of Clouded Yellow butterflies in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

At least four vocal Common Redstarts were at Harrington Airfield today with two in bushes near Bunker Two and two more between Bunker One and the Chippings Compound. A Common Redstart was caught and ringed there this morning but it is not known if it was one of these birds or a fifth bird. Six different Common Redstarts have been ringed at Harrington Airfield this month. A pair of Hobby made a couple of sorties over the old disused airfield today, catching prey and excitedly passing the prey between them. A large flock of Linnets seems to be attracting much of their attention.

Regards

Neil M

Some things had to wait a 
long time before being able
to move in the heatwaves - this
brightly coloured Common Toad
was active in the rain.


Courtesy of Jim Dunkley.

Rhagium mordax Longhorn Beetle
courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Phasia hemiptera courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

The first year male Common
Redstart caught and ringed at
Harrington Airfield today.

Autumnal birding

Hello

Birds at Pitsford Reservoir north of the causeway today were made up of four Great White Egrets, two Red-crested Pochard, a Ruff, three Green Sandpipers, nine Common Snipe, a Hobby, a Yellow-legged Gull and the long-staying Common Redstart. Yesterday at one stage there were nine Ruff present (six in flight and three feeding on the mud).

Some ringing at Pitsford Reservoir today provided just a small number of birds but a couple of stars were a young Tawny Owl and a Common Buzzard both captured in mist nets.

Summer Leys LNR continued to attract up to four Black-tailed Godwits and a Wheatear today plus two Common Snipe and a Great White Egret with a Common Sandpiper on Mary's Lake. The Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits today played host to a Black Tern, a Sanderling and singles of Little Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper and Common Snipe with up to four Ringed Plovers.

Birds at Stanwick Pits today included a Cattle Egret, two Great White Egrets, a Ruff and two Common Sandpipers.

Two Hobbies were at Hanging Houghton today, one with prey and birds at Harrington Airfield this afternoon included at least three Common Redstarts, two Wheatears and four Whinchats.

Regards

Neil M

A young Tawny Owl
ringed at Pitsford 
Reservoir today.

A Common Buzzard, probably a
 second year female, was also ringed
 at Pitsford Reservoir today.

Here comes the rain!

Hello

So far the weather change has meant cooler conditions and greyer skies but little in the way of rain...hopefully there is more of the wet stuff to come!

Scarcer birds noted at Stanford Reservoir today were made up of three Common Sandpipers, a Hobby, four Spotted Flycatchers, two Ravens, three Lesser Whitethroats and gatherings of Swallows and Goldfinches. Two Ospreys were noted at Hollowell Reservoir this evening.

Birds in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir were mostly long-stayers such as two Red-crested Pochards, four Great White Egrets, a Common Sandpiper, three Green Sandpipers, an adult Yellow-legged Gull and the male Common Redstart still. New birds in were three Ruff and five Snipe and a Nuthatch at the Old Scaldwell Road Feeding Station which is rather unusual. A Common Sandpiper, a couple of migrant Sedge Warblers and two more Yellow-legged Gulls were at the dam end of the reservoir this afternoon.

At Harrington Airfield three Common Redstarts were heard calling with one at Bunker Two being seen and the other two calling from cover between the Chippings Compound and Bunker One.

A Peregrine was seen over Earls Barton village today and a Hobby and a couple of Spotted Flycatchers were in Hanging Houghton village. Clifford Hill Pits hosted a single Goldeneye and two Common Sandpipers and there was a Great White Egret on Higham Lakes (part of the Ditchford Pits complex).

A Wheatear is not often encountered on the Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston Pits so was a welcome sighting - there were also eight species of warbler on show on the reserve and a single Common Sandpiper too. A Hobby was at Summer Leys LNR prior to the onset of rain this evening and there were three Black-tailed Godwits and a Greenshank earlier in the day. A single Cattle Egret flew north over the Roadside Pit at Stanwick Pits this morning - a site that the local birders have been visiting daily and surely is now overdue a rarity or two (yesterday's Bittern aside)?

The young drake Ferruginous Duck was still at Daventry Country Park today plus the Pink-footed Goose and a Caspian Gull.

Regards

Neil M

Juvenile Green Woodpecker.

Gadwall with ducklings.

Lesser Black-backed Gulls - yep
all of them!

A change in the weather?

Hello

With hints of changes in the weather we await with bated breath for tomorrow! Cooler, greyer periods today but also with some very strong sunshine and breeze - possibly some rain and thunderstorms tomorrow...

The ringers were active at Stanford Reservoir today processing some one hundred and seventy birds which included two of four Spotted Flycatchers present. Other birds seen included a Whinchat this evening, a Common Redstart, three Common Sandpipers, two Green Sandpipers, three Snipe, two Ravens, a Hobby and a Kingfisher.

A period of ringing at Harrington Airfield this morning provided just over fifty birds which included two Lesser Whitethroats, Linnets, Common Whitethroats, Willow Warblers and three Common Redstarts which were all first year males. One of these Redstarts was a re-trap bird from just a few days ago but the other two were fresh birds. It seems that there were another two birds on-site which were not captured. A Wheatear was also around Bunkers One and Two and a cracking male Marsh Harrier hunted the top fields on and off for over two hours.

A Bittern was seen at Stanwick Pits today along the grass causeway on the north end of the Layby Pits and four Black-tailed Godwits were at Summer Leys LNR plus a Great White Egret, a Dunlin and a Ringed Plover. Two Great White Egrets were in the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Reservoir early this afternoon.

A juvenile Marsh Harrier was in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning where there were still several Clouded Yellow butterflies, a Common Redstart and two Whinchats. There were still two Common Redstarts and at least four Spotted Flycatchers at Blueberry Farm and this evening fifteen Spotted Flycatchers and one or two Common Redstart(s), two Hobbies and a Barn Owl were all at Lamport Hall. A large falcon was glimpsed twice at Hanging Houghton today - possibly a Peregrine but insufficient views obtained.

Two Common Sandpipers were noted at Ravensthorpe Reservoir today and the first year drake Ferruginous Duck was again at Daventry Country Park.

Regards

Neil M

Sunset at Harrington
Airfield yesterday evening.

One of the first year male
Common Redstarts caught
and processed at Harrington
Airfield this morning.

Quiet and hot Sunday.

Hello

There were seemingly few birds reported in the county today, the hot conditions making birding uncomfortable outside the early mornings and evenings.

Stanford Reservoir hosted a Garganey today plus two Spotted Flycatchers, two Ravens, a Hobby and a  Grasshopper Warbler.

Two Common Redstarts were still at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this morning and a Common Redstart and a Whinchat were at 'shrike hedge' in the Brampton Valley between Cottesbrooke and Hanging Houghton. A Stonechat was an early find at Wollaston Weir this morning and a Raven was noted over Barnwell Country Park.

A Common Redstart was at Harrington Airfield this evening between the Chippings Compound and Bunker One and four Whinchats were just south-west of Bunker One. Ringing there tomorrow morning restricts access to the bunkers and the scrubby area between the chippings compound and the concrete track.

Insects regionally included Striped Hawk-moths not far from us in Leicestershire and Nigel captured a superb Bedstraw Hawk-moth in Duston last night.

Regards

Neil M

Juvenile Whinchat.

 Stonechat courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Wheatear.

The time of the year when
we often experience passage
birds of all three species
 of these chats.

Hot, breezy and still no rain.

Hello

Yesterday evening (Friday) there were some fifteen Spotted Flycatchers together at Lamport Hall as viewed from the footpath running off the A508 at the southern end of the park and a Hobby was active at Harlestone Lake. Nocturnal migration at Harrington Airfield recorded a Common Sandpiper over at 11.35pm and what may have been Common Scoter some ten minutes later.

At Pitsford Reservoir this morning a male Common Redstart was still in the field hedge between the Old Scaldwell Road and the Bird Club Hide adjacent to the Scaldwell Bay and birds in the bay included two Red-crested Pochard, a Green Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper and a Ringed Plover. There was a Great White Egret and a Kingfisher in the Walgrave Bay early this afternoon.

At Stanford Reservoir there were seven Spotted Fycatchers (one caught and ringed) this morning plus a Green Sandpiper and four Ravens and the first year drake Ferruginous Duck was still at Daventry Country Park late morning.

Morning sightings along the bridlepath that permits views of the new gravel workings off the Whiston Road provided two pairs of Grey Partridge, one with three young , a Cuckoo, a Green Sandpiper and over forty Linnets.

This morning there were two Common Redstarts, a Tree Pipit and two Crossbills over Blueberry Farm, Maidwell with a Common Redstart, a Wheatear and Clouded Yellows in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton. Nearby there were just eight Spotted Flycatchers and a Common Redstart at Lamport Hall.

Ten Yellow Wagtails, a Great White Egret and a Common Sandpiper were on the Titchmarsh reserve at Thrapston Pits and a Marsh Harrier and three Black-tailed Godwits were on the Summer Leys LNR this morning.

A small number of birds were caught and ringed at Harrington Airfield this morning before it became too warm. The highlights were twelve Common Whitethroats, two Lesser Whitethroats, a couple of Willow Warblers, a young Green Woodpecker and an adult female Common Redstart. At least one other Common Redstart was around Bunker Two, there was a Wheatear at Bunker One and other birds included Grey Partridges and a hunting Hobby. Butterflies included Common Blue, Small Heath and Small Copper.

Regards

Neil M

Migrant Hawker.

Lesser Whitethroat.

Common Whitethroat.

Ant Mimic Beetle courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Apple Weevil courtesy 
of Robin Gossage.

Drought birds

Hello

Yesterday evening (Thursday) and there were ten Spotted Flycatchers in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

This morning (Friday) I took a drive over to Borough Hill Country Park at Daventry arriving there at about dawn. The orangey almost full harvest moon lit the way as I progressed west. Although there was quite a variety of common warblers in the bushes I didn't encounter very much other than the norm despite well over two hours checking the bushes and open hillsides, five Spotted Flycatchers perhaps being the best. Small numbers of post-breeding Skylarks and Meadow Pipits flew up from the top ridge but apart from a few Yellow Wagtails flying over visible migration was minimal.

I popped down to Daventry Country Park afterwards and located the first year drake Ferruginous Duck expertly picked out by Gary Pullan earlier this month. A Pink-footed Goose was with the Greylags and seven Green Sandpipers fed along the muddy shoreline. Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs were quite numerous in the waterside trees and at least one Grey Wagtail was in the area of the dam.

Birds at Stanford Reservoir this morning included a summer Corn Bunting, a Common Redstart, still ten Ravens, a Great White Egret, a Green Sandpiper, a Kingfisher and two Hobbies.

At Pitsford Reservoir at lunchtime there were two Great White Egrets in the Walgrave Bay and the Scaldwell Bay hosted two Red-crested Pochard, an adult Yellow-legged Gull, a male Common Redstart, a Great White Egret and a Common Sandpiper.

There were three Black-tailed Godwits at Summer Leys LNR this morning and a Common Sandpiper and a Little Ringed Plover were at Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows. Birds at Stanwick Pits this morning included a Cattle Egret, a Great White Egret, four Common Sandpipers and two Yellow-legged Gulls.

A Honey Buzzard was reported via Birdguides as flying south at Islip this morning, one of many bird sightings from this location over the last couple of years from an unknown observer. One of Ian's Common Redstarts was still on the reserve at Woodford Halse again today.

Yesterday evening (Thursday) and Hummingbird Hawk-moths and Painted Ladies were attracted to buddleias and other flowers at The Fishing Lodge, Pitsford Reservoir and this afternoon there were still Clouded Yellows in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton. Other insects of note reported during the last few days include some fresh Brown Argus butterflies and Willow Emerald damselflies.

A ringing session will be taking place at Harrington Airfield in the morning (Saturday) when there will be access restrictions to the scrubby areas around the bunkers.

Regards

Neil M

A bolt from the blue - Kingfisher!

Moulting male Kestrel
perched on the Maytrees Hide
at Pitsford Reservoir today. The
bird bears a ring which is interesting
as there hasn't been a bird ringed
locally for some years.

Ruddy Darter.