Migrant activity in September

Hello

Some earnest ringing down at Linford Lakes on the outskirts of Milton Keynes provided seventy-eight captures of sixteen species with the Blackcap easily being the most common bird caught (twenty-five). Other warblers included sixteen Chiffchaffs, six Reed Warblers, three Common Whitethroats and a single each of Garden Warbler and Cetti's Warbler. A young Jay and a young Green Woodpecker were the star birds of the day although a variety of large insects found themselves in the nets including the large and once rare Clifden Nonpareill or Blue Underwing moth. The next door land owner shooting Woodpigeons with the shot raining down wasn't impressive on all counts! Other wildlife included Red Fox, Grass Snakes, a pipistrelle bat in the net, Common Newt, lots of Migrant Hawkers and a rather late Brown Hawker. Grey and Yellow Wagtails and a single Meadow Pipit were high-flying migrants over and at least one Raven was vocal.

Over at Stanford Reservoir the ringers were hard at it with 275 new birds processed today and birds seen included a Marsh Harrier, a Hobby, a Common Sandpiper and twenty-five Ravens.

At Pitsford Reservoir birds included two Great White Egrets north of the causeway, a Spotted Flycatcher and a Kingfisher by the Kingfisher Screen. At Hollowell Reservoir the Wood Sandpiper was still present plus three Greenshank, a Green Sandpiper and five Common Sandpipers.

A Dunlin was on the Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston Pits, four Great White Egrets were at Summer Leys LNR plus a Ruff, four Little Ringed Plovers, three Common Sandpipers, a Dunlin, a Hobby and an episode of formation fishing of up to twenty Cormorants. Two Spotted Flycatchers were at nearby Mary's Lake. Two Whinchats were again seen at Shrike Hedge in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

A ringing session at Harrington Airfield tomorrow will mean restricted access to the bunkers and old airstrip but the concrete track and official footpaths are unaffected.

Regards

Neil M

Black-tailed Godwit
courtesy of John Tilly.

Greenshank courtesy of
John Tilly.

Clifden Nonpareil moth
courtesy of Kenny Cramer.

Jay courtesy of
Kenny Cramer.

Sunset at Linford Lakes
courtesy of Kenny Cramer.

Black-necked Grebe, Merlin and Wood Sandpiper

Hello

A day with very little wind and warm if rather grey and drizzly in some parts of the county today.

A Black-necked Grebe (moulting adult) was off the dam at Pitsford Reservoir this evening and was coming nice and close until two paddleboards and a canoe went directly for it and frightened it off down the reservoir - so no photo! Two adult Yellow-legged Gulls and three or four Common Sandpipers were also present and to the north of the causeway a Green Sandpiper and a Hobby were noted.

A Merlin in Old Quarry Lane, Hartwell this morning was a true sign of autumn as the youngsters disperse from the breeding areas to the north and follow their prey south.

A Wood Sandpiper arrived at Hollowell Reservoir this afternoon and an Osprey was again seen there too.

Birds at Clifford Hill Pits included a Common Redstart, a Whinchat and two Wheatears and a Turnstone was reported at Summer Leys LNR this afternoon. The mobile female Ruddy Shelduck was at Crick today.

A Hobby and two Ravens were at Lamport Hall at lunchtime with ten of a flock of twelve Common Buzzards moving south. The two Whinchats and a Common Redstart were at Shrike Hedge in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and Blueberry Farm supported three Common Redstarts, five Spotted Flycatchers and two Whinchats. Two Spotted Flycatchers were on the nature reserve at Woodford Halse this afternoon and a Common Redstart was calling from bushes at Harrington Airfield near Bunker Three.

Regards

Neil M

This Grey Heron was fishing
in the shallows at Pitsford Reservoir
today in thick algae-laden water. This 
spot is only 200m from the wild water
swimming area - rather them than me!

Bathing Meadow Pipit
courtesy of John Tilly.

Brimstone butterfly courtesy
of John Tilly.

Chats and more warblers

More ringing efforts at Stanford Reservoir today yielded 209 new birds processed with yet another Common Redstart included (57 ringed there this autumn). Other birds noted on-site included a Marsh Harrier, twenty-five Ravens, a Hobby, a Common Sandpiper, a Siskin and three Swifts.

A ringing effort at Stortons Pits this morning provided eighty-six captures on the north side of the complex with warblers making up the bulk - forty-one Blackcaps, three Common Whitethroats, a Lesser Whitethroat, seven Reed Warblers, eleven Chiffchaffs and four Cetti's Warblers.

Some ringing around the Old Scaldwell Road Feeding Station at Pitsford Reservoir provided eighty captures which included eighteen Blackcaps, two Garden Warblers, nine Common Whitethroats, two Lesser Whitethroats, eleven Reed Warblers, seventeen Sedge Warblers, a Willow Warbler and a Chiffchaff. Other birds on-site north of the causeway were four Great White Egrets and at least ten Little Egrets leaving The Point roost at dawn, two or three Green Sandpipers, at least one Raven, a Kingfisher or two, a Whinchat and an adult Yellow-legged Gull.

During the course of August ninety-four each of Reed and Sedge Warblers have been caught and ringed at Pitsford Reservoir all from a few mist nets south of Maytrees Hide - the Meadow Sweet, Mint and glyceria vegetative belt at the water's edge proving a haven for these migrant warblers.

Birds visible from the dam this evening included a first year Mediterranean Gull (moulting from juvenile plumage to first winter), two adult Yellow-legged Gulls, three Common Sandpipers, a Kingfisher and a Grey Wagtail.

A Common Redstart and fifteen plus Spotted Flycatchers were at Lamport Hall this evening, two Whinchats spent the day near to Shrike Hedge in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and birds at nearby Blueberry Farm amounted to three Common Redstarts, two Spotted Flycatchers, two Whinchats and a Wheatear.

In the Nene Valley there was a Wheatear and three Common Sandpipers at Clifford Hill Pits and two Ruff and a Ringed Plover plus the Wasp Spider still at Summer Leys LNR. A Wood Sandpiper was found at Daventry Country Park today.

Regards

Neil M

Tree Sparrow courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Great White Egret courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Wasp Spider courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Lesser Whitethroat courtesy
of Chris Payne.

This oddly-marked Reed Warbler
was caught and ringed at Stortons 
Pits today, courtesy of Chris Payne.

The ringing team at Stortons
Pits today!

Birding at Pitsford Reservoir.

Hello

A fairly quiet day in the county today with little new found.

At Pitsford Reservoir there were at least two Great White Egrets north of the causeway plus an adult Yellow-legged Gull, a Marsh Harrier, two Whinchats between Maytrees Hide and the causeway, one or two Green Sandpiper(s), three Red-crested Pochard (two drakes) in the Walgrave Bay and this evening a vocal Common Redstart in roadside bushes between the top of the Old Scaldwell Road and the causeway.

Birds at Harrington Airfield this morning included two Common Redstarts, a Whinchat, a Wheatear and three Grey Partridges. Birds in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton included five Whinchats and a Wheatear and two Grey Partridges at 'Shrike Hedge' and a Kingfisher at the brook. Two or three Common Redstarts were at nearby Blueberry Farm, Maidwell.

Three Common Redstarts were visible from the footpath running from Bridle Road, Old to the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Reservoir early this afternoon and two male Common Redstarts were located at Fleetland Farm, Duston this morning.

Hollowell Reservoir provided views of an Osprey, a Pink-footed Goose, two Greenshanks, a Green Sandpiper, three Common Sandpipers and a Wheatear. Two Common Redstarts were on show at Stanford Reservoir and other birds logged were a Grasshopper Warbler, no less than twenty-six Ravens, two Common Sandpipers, ten Lesser Whitethroats and a Hobby.

In the Nene Valley there was a Ruff, a Common Sandpiper and a Little Ringed Plover at Summer Leys LNR and Clifford Hill Pits hosted an Osprey for fifteen minutes this morning and a Wheatear.

Regards

Neil M

Willow Warbler.

Whinchat.

Green Sandpiper.

All above images taken
at Pitsford Reservoir today
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Mmmmm Blackberries!
I have never managed to take
a good photograph of a Grey
Partridge although today's
example is the best to date 
(must try harder)! This bird
appears to have a large tick
near the base of the bill.

Migrant chats, a Kingfisher and Marsh Tits

Hello

Dull, cloudy days with low windspeeds is ideal for the deployment of mist nets for bird ringing so little surprise that there were ringing sessions this morning at Stanford Reservoir, Pitsford Reservoir and Greens Norton. 

At Stanford yet another Common Redstart was caught and ringed bringing the total there this autumn to fifty-six - other birds seen there today included a Common Sandpiper and fifteen Ravens. 

At Pitsford Reservoir eighty-one birds were processed of thirteen common species, perhaps the highlights being two Marsh Tits, a Treecreeper that is at least five years old and small numbers of Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap and Bullfinch. Birds noted on-site included a Marsh Harrier, two Whinchats, an early-morning Tree Pipit, a couple of Ravens, a Great White Egret, a Green Sandpiper, a Kingfisher and a few over-flying Siskins.

At Greens Norton the catch of the day was a resplendent Kingfisher plus at least thirty-five Blackcaps, three Willow Warblers, three Bullfinches and a Marsh Tit amongst sixty birds processed.

A Pied Flycatcher was reported by Birdguides at Hanging Houghton yesterday evening but I'm afraid I have no information regarding this. Also yesterday a Nightjar was located roosting on a wall at Great Harrowden but a visit today didn't locate it.

This morning and an Osprey and the Ruddy Shelduck were seen at Hollowell Reservoir and other birds included a Pink-footed Goose, three Ringed Plovers, a Green Sandpiper, seven Common Sandpipers and two Greenshanks.

Two Cattle Egrets were still at Stanwick Pits today and birds on the Summer Leys LNR included a Ruff, a Common Sandpiper and a Great White Egret.

A Wheatear was all that could be found at Harrington Airfield today and a single Common Redstart was the only bird of note at Lamport Hall this afternoon.

There was much more activity at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this morning where there were four Common Redstarts, a Crossbill flying around, at least four Spotted Flycatchers, common warblers, two Hobbies and Yellow Wagtails. Nearby four Whinchats, a Wheatear and a Common Redstart were noted in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton near 'Shrike Hedge'.

An adult Caspian Gull was with other gulls near Gordon's Lodge, Ashton at 8.15am.

Regards

Neil M

Pheasant courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Greylag Goose in the
stubble courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Common Buzzard courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Juvenile Wren courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Kingfisher at Greens Norton
today courtesy of Chris Payne.

Marsh Tit courtesy of
Chris Payne.

Stanford's annual Wryneck!

Hello

The ringers at Stanford Reservoir have managed for the fourth consecutive year to catch and ring a migrant Wryneck. A single bird was caught and ringed this morning as were three more Common Redstarts and another Grasshopper Warbler. Over three hundred birds found the mist nets this morning, the bulk of which will be migrant warblers passing through. Other birds noted at the reservoir included two Common Sandpipers, as many as twenty Ravens, two Spotted Flycatchers and five Swifts. A flock of about thirty Siskins flew over.

Birds at Pitsford Reservoir north of the causeway this morning included four juvenile Whinchats between the causeway and Maytrees Hide, four Great White Egrets, a Barnacle Goose, an adult Yellow-legged Gull, a Kingfisher and a Green Sandpiper. A Redshank was still on the dam and this afternoon two Yellow-legged Gulls (adult and juvenile) were at The Narrows.

Two Wood Sandpipers appeared briefly at Stanwick Pits early this morning before departing but the two Cattle Egrets remained. Three Green Sandpipers were at Spinney Quarry, Earls Barton Pits with an Osprey over Summer Leys LNR and six Pintail on the reserve near Wader Bay. A good find by Stuart yesterday was of a Wasp Spider on the reserve.

Harrington Airfield today was good for a Marsh Harrier, three Common Redstarts, a Spotted Flycatcher and two Wheatears and the list of birds at Hollowell Reservoir this morning included a juvenile Caspian Gull, a Pink-footed Goose, an Osprey, a Greenshank, three Green Sandpipers, two Common Sandpipers, six Yellow Wagtails and a Spotted Flycatcher.

Two Common Redstarts remain at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell and the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton provided for two Whinchats, a Wheatear and two Golden Plovers at 'Shrike Hedge'. Two more Common Redstarts were in field hedging visible from the footpath leading from Bridle Road, Old towards the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon (birds in the first and fourth fields walking from Bridle Road). Two Hobbies were at Lamport Hall this evening.

Weasel video courtesy of John Boland.

Regards

Neil M

Wryneck at Stanford Reservoir
today courtesy of Beth Newark
Stanford Ringing Group.

Speckled Wood butterfly.

Male House Sparrow. About fifty
of these birds are visiting our garden
daily, both adults and juveniles
undergoing complete moult at this
time of the year to the point when it
is complete it won't be possible to 
age individuals on plumage characteristics.

Warblers and more!

Hello

The ringing session at Linford Lakes yesterday which included a Common Redstart and a Tree Pipit yielded 123 birds of twenty species, the majority of which were newly-ringed. It was another day with large warbler totals including 35 Chiffchaffs, 28 Blackcaps, 10 Willow Warblers, 6 Common Whitethroats, a Lesser Whitethroat, five Reed Warblers, two Sedge Warblers and two Cetti's Warblers. Seven juvenile Swallows were successfully netted and processed.

Today's ringing at Stanford Reservoir included a Whinchat (with another present), three more Common Redstarts, two Grasshopper Warblers, six Lesser Whitethroats, eighty-four Blackcaps and fifteen Garden Warblers within a total of 269 birds ringed today. Other birds present included a Marsh Harrier and two Common Sandpipers.

Some ringing in the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Reservoir provided 77 captures with perhaps the highlights being five Chiffchaffs, eighteen Blackcaps, three Garden Warblers, three Bullfinches and singles of Treecreeper and Nuthatch. A juvenile Marsh Harrier and a juvenile female Peregrine lingered north of the causeway and there were at least two Great White Egrets, two Hobbies, two Green Sandpipers, a Yellow-legged Gull, a Pintail, two Ravens, at least one Kingfisher, a Spotted Flycatcher, a few fly-over Siskins, a calling Common Redstart in a field hedge just south of the Bird Club hide and three mobile Whinchats in Scaldwell Meadows ranging between the causeway and the Bird Club hide.

An adult Caspian Gull was on a buoy off the dam this evening with two Yellow-legged Gulls present plus a Redshank, two Common Sandpipers and about ten Yellow Wagtails.

Two Cattle Egrets were seen at Stanwick Pits again and Summer Leys LNR supported a Ruff, a Common Sandpiper, three Common Snipe, a Pintail and a juvenile Mediterranean Gull briefly.

At least three Whinchats were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton at 'Shrike Hedge' with a Raven in the village and four Spotted Flycatchers at Lamport Hall late in the afternoon. A Spotted Flycatcher was at Fermyn Woods this afternoon.

Regards

Neil M

Cetti's Warbler courtesy 
of Kenny Cramer.

Odd-shaped rainbow over
Linford Lakes yesterday
courtesy of Kenny Cramer.

Great White Egret courtesy
of Dave Jackson.

Male Blackcap courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Redstarts everywhere!

Hello

More ringing efforts at Stanford Reservoir this morning provided another six new Common Redstarts. Other birds present today included a Tree Pipit, four Common Sandpipers, sixteen Ravens and one Great White Egret. A Cattle Egret and a Wood Sandpiper were at Eyebrook Reservoir today.

Another ringing session at Linford Lakes, Milton Keynes today provided singles of Tree Pipit and Common Redstart.

At Pitsford Reservoir birds north of the causeway included two Great White Egrets, a Common Sandpiper, a Kingfisher, two Ravens and a Grey Wagtail.

A Black Tern remained at Clifford Hill Pits where there was also a Wheatear and a Common Sandpiper. A Cattle Egret remained at Summer Leys LNR and other birds included a Ruff, a fly-over Ringed Plover, at least two Common Sandpipers and three Pintail with two Green Sandpipers at Earls Barton quarry. An Osprey flew from Mary's Lake towards Summer Leys this afternoon.

Harrington Airfield offered up fifteen Grey Partridges, a Tree Pipit, two fly-over Crossbills, a fly-over Golden Plover, two Common Redstarts and a Wheatear this morning.

A Honey Buzzard over the edge of Everdon Stubbs at 1.15pm was bird of the day, the bird drifting north-east. Other raptors there included three Hobbies.

At least twenty-three Mistle Thrushes were in stubble fields in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton and this area also attracted two Whinchats and three Wheatears with two Common Redstarts at nearby Blueberry Farm. A Raven was in Hanging Houghton village this morning.

Two or three Common Redstarts and two Wheatears were along the footpath from Bridle Road, Old that leads to the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Reservoir and at Lamport Hall this evening a flurry of activity in trees alongside the footpath leading off the A508 next to the gatehouse included a Pied Flycatcher, two Common Redstarts and at least fifteen Spotted Flycatchers. Two Pied Flycatchers were reported at Stowe Nine Churches this afternoon.

Regards

Neil M

Cattle Egret at Summer Leys
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Juvenile Goldfinch at
Summer Leys courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Common Redstart courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

Tree Pipit courtesy of
Kenny Cramer.

Cooler, damper weather ahead

Hello

More ringing efforts at Stanford Reservoir today yielded a ridiculous twelve Common Redstarts bringing this autumn's total to forty-three individuals caught and ringed. Six Grasshopper Warblers were also caught and ringed as was a Tree Pipit and another Tree Pipit was seen plus a Whinchat and two Common Sandpipers.

Four Spotted Flycatchers were off the footpath on the south side of Lamport Hall this afternoon (but none were seen there at lunchtime) and at Stanwick Pits today there were two mobile Cattle Egrets, two Common Sandpipers and a Whinchat. A Cattle Egret and two Great White Egrets were at Summer Leys LNR today and a Hobby was seen over Mears Ashby.

Three Common Redstarts were found at Honey Hill, Cold Ashby this afternoon.

An adult Pied Wagtail was found dead at Brixworth village hall on Wednesday and was bearing a ring. Examining the bird it had a very sharp breast bone and only two intact toes and claws on each foot, suggesting that it's reduced mobility had possibly affected it's ability to chase down insects in the customary wagtail fashion. Wagtails, particularly Pied and Grey which reside in human habitation, regularly suffer from issues with their feet and missing toes and claws. Hairs including human hairs are believed to be one of the issues with hairs becoming entangled in the feet of these small birds and then cutting off the circulation leading to the eventual loss of claws and toes. This particular bird was ringed as an adult at the nearby Brixworth Water Treatment works on 16th March 2020 so was at least four years old.

Regards

Neil M

Pied Wagtail courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Cormorant with Perch
courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Band-eyed Horsefly
courtesy of Robin Gossage.

Migrant Hawker.

Stanford's ringing efforts continue

Hello

The remarkable on-going ringing effort at Stanford Reservoir continues today with 606 new birds caught and ringed plus just 17 re-trapped birds and three birds bearing rings from elsewhere. This demonstrate the phenomenal movements of our small migrants which quickly move on and are replaced by others. Today four new Common Redstarts hit the mist nets bringing this autumn's total to thirty-one and two new Grasshopper Warblers were also noteworthy. Examples of other species moving in volume included fifty-four new Sedge Warblers, eighty-seven Willow Warblers, an amazing twenty-one Lesser Whitethroats and twenty-four Garden Warblers.

A smaller scale ringing operation took place at Pitsford Reservoir with a few hours yesterday evening and this morning producing nearly one hundred and fifty captures. Nothing rare or scarce was encountered but the total included thirty-nine Reed Warblers, twenty-seven Sedge Warblers, seven Garden Warblers, three Lesser Whitethroats, seven Common Whitethroats and eleven Tree Sparrows.

Other birds noted at Pitsford Reservoir today included an Osprey, three Great White Egrets, a Kingfisher, a Garganey, three Yellow-legged Gulls, two Wheatears, two Whinchats and two Spotted Flycatchers.

At Thrapston Pits today there were two Great White Egrets, a Hobby, a Peregrine and a Yellow-legged Gull. Four Spotted Flycatchers were at Barnwell Country Park.

A fourth Pied Flycatcher in the county yesterday stems from an individual on the outskirts of Creaton but it seems that all of these individuals have quickly moved on with no reports today.

At Lamport Hall three different Common Redstarts were found but the Spotted Flycatcher count was down to about six birds. Nearby there were two Whinchats and a Wheatear near 'Shrike Hedge' in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton with two Common Redstarts and a family of Spotted Flycatchers at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell.

Summer Leys LNR hosted the Cattle Egret again plus two Great White Egrets, two Common Snipe, two Ringed Plovers, a Ruff, a Common Sandpiper, a Pintail, a juvenile Mediterranean Gull, an adult Yellow-legged Gull and a Spotted Flycatcher. Two Cattle Egrets were with cattle at Stanwick Pits this afternoon.

On the insect front it seems that quite a few of the impressive Large Red Underwing moths are being found around the county and Mark found yet another Lesser Emperor dragonfly, this time at Sywell Country Park along the bank to the west of the dam.

Regards

Neil M

Tree Sparrow courtesy
of Jane Neill.

Sunrise at Pitsford Reservoir
courtesy of Jane Neill.

Spotted Flycatchers courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Hobby courtesy of
Robin Gossage.