Passerine migration in full flow

Hello

A ringing session at Harrington Airfield yielded seventy-five captures of eighteen species, with nothing unusual in the catch. Most of the birds were hatched this year and included a single Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroats, Chiffchaff and Willow Warblers, Blackcaps, Linnets, Goldfinches and Yellowhammers.

Other birds on-site included the Common Redstart between the Chippings Compound and Bunker One and a couple of Ravens. A nice array of butterflies included Common Blue, Brown Argus, an aberrant Comma, Brimstones and a single Small Copper. Active beetles included several of a species of Devil's Coachhorse. A Painted Lady butterfly and three Ravens were in Hanging Houghton village.

At Pitsford Reservoir today Eleanor ran the circuit between the dam and the causeway and saw a Great White Egret, two Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper and at least two Siskins. To the north of the causeway David Arden saw the male Common Redstart in the Scaldwell Bay again plus three Great White Egrets, a Green Sandpiper and plenty of common juvenile warblers.

At Blueberry Farm, Maidwell three Common Redstarts were again on show plus a Wheatear and nearby another Common Redstart and a Whinchat were in a weedy field.

Over at Woodford Halse the Common Redstart was seen on the reserve again where there were also four Spotted Flycatchers.

At Stanford Reservoir the ringers ringed another 298 new birds which included a Spotted Flycatcher, a Common Redstart and a Grasshopper Warbler. Other birds noted included a Wheatear, another three Spotted Flycatchers, a Common Sandpiper and three Shelduck.

At Hollowell Reservoir Jon saw a Black-tailed Godwit pass through plus five Green Sandpipers, two Common Sandpipers and 3-4 Spotted Flycatchers. An Osprey was present at the Elinor Lake at Thrapston Pits for 45 minutes this afternoon and an adult Yellow-legged Gull was seen there too. An adult Caspian Gull was at Stanwick Pits this afternoon and then flew off east.

Regards

Neil M

The vivid yellow juvenile
Willow Warblers are pouring
through the county at the
moment. Image courtesy of
Jane Neil.

Common Whitethroat courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Common Blue butterfly
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Juvenile Robin courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Small Copper butterfly
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Brown Argus courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Muntjac courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Willow Warblers and Common Redstarts

Hello

Still plenty of warblers and other small birds on the move today through the county, particularly noticeable are the many Willow Warblers passing through from much further north.

At Blueberry Farm, Maidwell today there were still three Common Redstarts on show plus a Whinchat and four Spotted Flycatchers in a nearby weedy field. Nearby there was also a Whinchat and a Wheatear near Shrike Hedge in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton. A Common Redstart was at Harrington Airfield, between the Chippings Compound and Bunker One. Please note that much of this area tomorrow will have access restrictions due to ringing activity but this doesn't affect public footpaths.

At Lamport Hall there was a Common Redstart and five Spotted Flycatchers in trees and hedgerow next to the footpath on the south side of the hall grounds and four young Grey Partridges nearby. Another Common Redstart and a Whinchat were in the wild flower strip between Lamport and Scaldwell.

It seemed quiet at Pitsford Reservoir north of the causeway this afternoon with two Great White Egrets, a Kingfisher, an adult Yellow-legged Gull, a Common Snipe and at least four Wigeon being about the best on show.

In the Nene Valley Stanwick Pits attracted an adult Caspian Gull, at least ten Yellow-legged Gulls, two adult Mediterranean Gulls, three Common Sandpipers, a Green Sandpiper and a Common Snipe. A Common Redstart was found in hedging adjacent to Wollaston Weir. Two Barnacle Geese were at south fields on the Clifford Hill Pits complex this morning

At Wicksteed Park a Yellow-legged Gull was seen this afternoon and at Geddington a male Common Redstart was in a hedgerow off Grange Road.

Hollowell Reservoir today supported a Pink-footed Goose, a Great White Egret, a Little Ringed Plover, a Redshank, six Green Sandpipers and two Common Sandpipers. A Common Scoter was noted at Eyebrook Reservoir. Birds recorded at Stanford Reservoir included three Shelduck, a Common Sandpiper, a Cetti's Warbler and four Lesser Whitethroats.

Regards

Neil M

Adult Yellow-legged Gull at
Pitsford Reservoir today. It
appears not to want to bear
weight on it's right foot
 suggesting an injury.

Gadwall at Pitsford
Reservoir today.

A juvenile Cuckoo at
Spurn, East Yorkshire - 
still being fed by parent
Meadow Pipits.

This image courtesy of Jacob Spinks.

Warblers and harriers on the move

Hello

Blueberry Farm, Maidwell was good for birds today with three Common Redstarts, a Grasshopper Warbler and plenty of other warblers this morning and then this afternoon Stuart saw a cream-crown Marsh Harrier from there too. Two Common Redstarts remained at Harrington Airfield early this afternoon (near Bunker One and the Shooting Wall) with a Wheatear at Bunker Three. Then that man Stuart came along again this evening and this time espied a ringtail Hen Harrier heading east there! Twelve Grey Partridges were put up by a combine harvester.

A further Common Redstart and a Wheatear were near Shrike Hedge in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning.

A Kingfisher was at Upton Country Park today and a hay field being cut at Hanging Houghton attracted the local Red Kites and Common Buzzards. One of the adult Little Owls remains noisy around the bottom of the village.

An Osprey was seen at Hollowell Reservoir again today and a Common Redstart remains on the nature reserve at Woodford Halse.

Birds at Stanford Reservoir today included a Hobby, two Shelduck, two Green Sandpipers and at least eleven Yellow Wagtails. The ringers there had a bumper session processing 290 new birds which included 93 Willow Warblers and a Cetti's Warbler. Two controls (birds ringed elsewhere) included a French-ringed Sedge Warbler.

Regards

Neil M

Common Whitethroat.

Brimstone butterfly.

Kingfisher at Upton
Country Park today.

Chiffchaff.

Migrant Hawker.

All images courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Common Redstarts and others

Hello

A modest ringing session at Scotland Wood on the Kelmarsh Estate today provided a mix of common birds including Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest and a Treecreeper. Other birds noted in the wood included a juvenile Spotted Flycatcher and a Redpoll. Insects included a Silver-washed Fritillary and both Southern and Migrant Hawker dragonflies.

A Common Redstart was at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this afternoon, a female Common Redstart was at Honey Hill, Cold Ashby this morning and two Common Redstarts were NNW of Teeton village in a hedgerow next to the Macmillan Way footpath (SP693709) this afternoon.

Two Common Redstarts were at Summer Leys LNR today on the path to the Rotary Hide and other birds included a Black-tailed Godwit and a Common Sandpiper.

Birds at Hollowell Reservoir included an Osprey and singles of Common and Green Sandpipers and three Common Sandpipers were on the dam at Pitsford Reservoir this morning. An adult Yellow-legged Gull was seen at Ravensthorpe Reservoir.

Another adult Yellow-legged Gull and two Common Sandpipers were on the Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston Pits today and a Peregrine was near Stortons Pits.

Regards

Neil M

Little Egret courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

A rather wet Southern Hawker
at Scotland Wood today.

Silver-washed Fritillary at
Scotland Wood.

Peacock butterfly.

Treecreeper at Scotland Wood
today courtesy of Jane Neil.

A wet Saturday

Hello

As forecast a very wet day but hopefully there is some more settled, sunnier weather on the horizon!

A Pink-footed Goose made an appearance at Ravensthorpe Reservoir today with three Shelduck being the best on offer at Stanford Reservoir. Pitsford Reservoir didn't fare much better with sightings of two Great White Egrets, two Redshank and two adult Yellow-legged Gulls.

On the passerine front Eleanor located two Common Redstarts sheltering in a hedgerow at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell and later saw two Whinchats in a wild flower strip between Lamport and Scaldwell.

Six Grey Wagtails were at Brixworth Water Treatment Works today and despite the miserable weather there was quite a strong passage of gulls through the county with many Black-headed Gulls on the move and lots of Lesser Black-backeds too, some of them in family parties still with the juveniles emitting begging calls as they pass overhead!

A Black-tailed Godwit remained at Summer Leys LNR today.

Regards

Neil M

The sometimes intensive
training pays off when collies
Jaeger and Rouzel both come
 first in their respective groups in
 a regional agility competition
 yesterday. Eleanor is the one in
the middle!

Cinnabar Moth caterpillar
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Juvenile Robin courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Peacock butterfly courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Blackcap on elderberries
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Purple Hairstreak butterfly, another
good year for them, image courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Holly Blue courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Lesser Black-backed Gulls
courtesy of John Tilly.

Creatures at harvest time

Hello

An early morning find of an Avocet at Hollowell Reservoir was just reward for Jon our county recorder who is one of a number of local patch birders working hard out there almost every day to see what of interest turns up on their chosen site. Constant effort creates a much better understanding and enhanced forecasting of what is happening or changing locally and all of us should appreciate the likes of Steve Fisher (Stanwick Pits), Chris Hubbard (Stanford Reservoir), Gary Pullan (Daventry Country Park and Boddington) and others out there juggling work and other responsibilities with their passion for birding.

An Osprey was seen at Hollowell Reservoir later and at Pitsford Reservoir there were three Common Sandpipers on the dam this morning and two Red-crested Pochard and two Great White Egrets in the Scaldwell Bay. A Raven was noted at Pipewell and this afternoon Honey Hill produced some migrants which included a Spotted Flycatcher, a possible Pied Flycatcher (flew from the observer before identification confirmed) and two Common Redstarts.

A Black-tailed Godwit was still at Summer Leys LNR today and Stanford Reservoir attracted a Marsh Harrier, at least six Spotted Flycatchers and a high count of fourteen Ravens. Four Grey Partridges were at Harrington Airfield on a very dull and cloudy evening as were a minimum of six Brown Hares!

Regards

Neil M

A rather tired Green Woodpecker
at Stortons Pits today courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Grass Snake at Stortons Pits
today courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Brown Hares at Harrington Airfield
in very poor light this evening.

Redstarts and godwits

Hello

A trundle around the Lilbourne Meadows reserve today provided lots of young birds with Goldfinches and Linnets flocking already on the grass and plant seeds and family parties of Common Whitethroats working the hedgerows. A family of Yellow Wagtails probably originated on the reserve and there were plenty of Sedge Warblers in the grasses and scrubby areas which are probably a combination of birds bred on the reserve and migrants coming through from elsewhere. Two Common Redstarts were on site, one a stunning adult male just starting it's post-breeding moult. Waders included a few Lapwings, a Black-tailed Godwit first thing, eight Green Sandpipers and a single Common Sandpiper. One or two Grey Partridge(s) were noted. There is still a great deal of work being completed on this reserve which includes significant landscaping and bund work and more vegetation clearances and fence work which means the opening of this reserve has been put back another year and currently public access is restricted to the roads and a footpath on the M1 side of the reserve.

A visit to Honey Hill yielded just common migrants but the swathes of Harebells looked fabulous as did the four Brown Hares there too!

Birds in and around the vicinity of the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir this morning included the male Common Redstart, two drake Red-crested Pochard, two Great White Egrets and two Green Sandpipers, with two Common Sandpipers at the dam end of the reservoir. The female Ruddy Shelduck was at Ravensthorpe Reservoir this afternoon but may have flew back towards Hollowell Reservoir.

Two or three Common Redstarts were still at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this morning and a Wheatear and two Whinchats were in the Brampton Valley in the vicinity of Shrike Hedge between Hanging Houghton and Cottesbrooke.

A Black-tailed Godwit was on the scrape at Summer Leys LNR this afternoon and four Sandwich Terns were seen to fly though at Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston Pits this morning.

At Stanford Reservoir there were two Common Redstarts, one of which was caught and ringed and two Spotted Flycatchers which were similarly caught and ringed. Other birds included a Black-tailed Godwit on the dam and three Shelducks.

A female Peregrine was in Market Harborough town centre today and yesterday an Otter showed well along the River Welland there in the afternoon.

Regards

Neil M

Harebells and Roesel's
Bush-cricket Honey Hill.

Southern Hawker at Scotland
Wood, Kelmarsh Estate.

Red Admiral at Scotland
Wood, Kelmarsh Estate.

Waders love mud

Hello

There was an influx of Black-headed Gulls and Common Terns at Pitsford Reservoir this morning, with a couple of Common Gulls in tow too. An adult Yellow-legged Gull was off the dam and four Common Sandpipers were noted at that end too. Four Common Sandpipers on the causeway this evening may or may not be the same birds!

North of the causeway saw the Common Redstart still in situ in hedging west of Maytrees Hide, one or two Hobby, a Green Sandpiper, a Great White Egret and up to about twenty Tree Sparrows around the feeding station.

Two Common Redstarts, at least three Spotted Flycatchers and a mixed flock of common warblers were in the bushes at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this afternoon.

A juvenile Mediterranean Gull was noted at Stanwick Pits this morning and birds at Stanford Reservoir included a Hobby, three Shelduck and a Common Sandpiper.

Regards

Neil M

Juvenile Black-headed Gull.

Common Sandpiper.

Little Ringed Plover.

Ruff.

All images courtesy 
of John Tilly.