Still conditions and a ground frost

Hello

A cold night last night and with a ground frost post-dawn but it didn't stop Northants Ringing Group members from conducting early morning ringing sessions at Stortons Pits and Pitsford Reservoir now the winds had stilled.

Three ringers at Stortons processed 74 birds of fourteen species, nearly all the birds being newly ringed. Blackcaps are expected to feature at this time of the year but thirty was still a good total and other warblers included seven Chiffchaffs, a Sedge Warbler and two Reed Warblers. Nine Robins and ten Goldfinches were high totals and highlights included the now much scarcer Bullfinch, a Song Thrush, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and another splash of colour with a fabulous Kingfisher.

Three ringers at Pitsford manage to process 119 birds of fifteen species with Blackcaps totaling forty and Chiffchaffs thirty; other warblers were two Common Whitethroats, a Lesser Whitethroat, six Reed Warblers, four Sedge Warblers and a single Willow Warbler. Additional birds were two Song Thrushes, twelve Greenfinches and nine Meadow Pipits. A Common Snipe was flushed from the shoreline and a surprising number of butterflies in the morning sunshine included some late Meadow Browns and a very fresh Small Copper.

At Summer Leys LNR the Bittern showed well and a Marsh Harrier was on-site again plus five Great White Egrets and a Green Sandpiper. The Black-necked Grebe remained at Clifford Hill Pits and a Whinchat and a Wheatear were present too. A drake Common Scoter was found at the north end of Titchmarsh Reserve today by Nick and other birds were five Dunlin, a Green Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper and a Common Snipe.

Stanford Reservoir attracted a pair of Red-crested Pochard today plus a Common Sandpiper, a Hobby and a Cetti's Warbler. Ringers there caught a whopping 362 new birds, the majority no doubt being Blackcaps!

A Caspian Gull was noted at Naseby Reservoir today and a Black-tailed Godwit circled Hollowell Reservoir before moving on.

A Common Redstart was at Borough Hill Country Park, Daventry this afternoon with a supporting cast of at least fifteen Chiffchaffs, a pair of Stonechats, two Whinchats, three Wheatears and plenty of Meadow Pipits. Other sightings included a garden Raven in Little Harrowden and a gathering of eighteen Ring-necked Parakeets mobbing a Grey Heron at Fishponds Road, Little Billing this afternoon!

Regards

Neil M

Bittern at Summer Leys LNR
today courtesy of Sandra Bletchley.

A first year male Great Spotted
Woodpecker losing it's red crown
and gaining a red nape, Stortons Pits,
 courtesy of Chris Payne.

Kingfisher at Stortons Pits
today courtesy of Chris Payne.

Speckled Wood butterfly
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Rabbits courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Both the Speckled Wood and the Rabbits were
also at Stortons Pits today enjoying the
warm sunshine.

Red-legged Shieldbug courtesy
of John Tilly.

Cold nights in September

Hello

A cold start to the morning and apparently an even cooler one tomorrow morning! Plenty of sunshine, a blustery breeze and showers today too.

Birds north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir included a Whinchat, four Great White Egrets, five Green Sandpipers and a 'Commic' Tern. Stanford Reservoir hosted a Black Tern still, a Wheatear, two Hobbies, two Common Sandpipers and a Kingfisher. Hollowell Reservoir managed an adult Caspian Gull, a Wheatear and three Stonechats.

In the Nene Valley there were two Marsh Harriers at Summer Leys LNR plus a Pintail, Great White Egrets, two Green Sandpipers and a Common Sandpiper. Another Marsh Harrier was seen at the Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston Pits this morning. The Black-necked Grebe was again reported from Clifford Hill Pits this morning.

Birds in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton were two Grey Wagtails and a Green Sandpiper at the Brampton Brook and four Whinchats, two Stonechats, a Wheatear and a Marsh Harrier in the shrike hedge area.

Harrington Airfield provided sightings of a Common Redstart, two Wheatears and a Marsh Harrier this afternoon. Meadow Pipits, wagtails and hirundines were again moving through the county in good numbers today.

Regards

Neil M

Grey Heron.

Whinchat at Pitsford Reservoir
today courtesy of Neil Hasdell.

Green Sandpipers at Pitsford
Reservoir today courtesy of
Neil Hasdell.

Chiffchaff courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Woodpigeon squabs
courtesy of John Tilly.

Pitsford WeBS count

Hello

Today was WeBS count day at Pitsford Reservoir and the forecast proved accurate with a strong breeze and sunshine and showers!

Birds south of the causeway included a female Common Redstart in a bush by the spillover at the dam, two Whinchats by 'The Holly Tree', two Grey Wagtails, two Common Sandpipers, a female Peregrine, a Kingfisher and two Ravens.

North of the causeway there were four Great White Egrets, four Pintail in the Walgrave Bay, a Green Sandpiper, a Common Snipe, two Common Terns, a fishing Osprey, a fly-over juvenile Marsh Harrier and at least one Hobby plus two Kingfishers. Meadow Pipits and wagtails were on the move and plenty of hirundines were dominated number-wise by House Martins. There were still one or two begging nestling Cormorants in nests in the Scaldwell Bay.

Odonata included Common Blue Damselfly, Ruddy and Common Darters and Migrant Hawker. Six species of butterfly included a single fresh Small Heath, Common Blue and a very recent hatch of many Commas.

The Black-necked Grebe was again at Clifford Hill Pits today, a Black Tern was at Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows reserve and the adult Caspian Gull and Black-tailed Godwit were again on the main lake at Stanwick Pits.

A Bittern and a Hobby were at Summer Leys LNR today and birds noted at Stanford Reservoir were another Black Tern, three Common Sandpipers, a Hobby, a Kingfisher and a Cetti's Warbler.

Regards

Neil M

'Alba' wagtail courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Migrant Hawker courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Common Darters courtesy
of John Tilly.

Great White Egret courtesy
of John Tilly.

Little Egret courtesy
of John Tilly.

Jaeger and Rouzel
on Blueberry Hill.

Autumnal morning, wet afternoon.

Hello

An early WeBS count was completed at Ditchford Pits today but it was mostly a bird-less zone! Birds east of Ditchford Lane amounted to a Kingfisher, a Cetti's Warbler and two Grey Wagtails. The pits west of Ditchford Lane provided a juvenile female Peregrine, a Great White Egret, a Cetti's Warbler, the usual white Carrion Crow and a pair of Egyptian Geese with three very late-hatched goslings. Sand Martins and Swallows were in reasonable numbers.

A Caspian Gull and a Black-tailed Godwit were at Stanwick Pits early morning and birds at Summer Leys LNR amounted to a juvenile Marsh Harrier, three Great White Egrets, a Green Sandpiper, four Common Snipe, five hundred Starlings nearby, one hundred and fifty House Martins and smaller numbers of Swallows and Sand Martins.

The Black-necked Grebe and two Whinchats were seen at Clifford Hill Pits this morning and two Ravens were seen flying from Great Billing towards Weston Favell.

Three Yellow-legged Gulls were off the dam at Pitsford Reservoir this evening and a collection of hirundines included many Swallows and House Martins and just a few Sand Martins.

Stanford Reservoir attracted a fly-through Ringed Plover, three Common Sandpipers and a Kingfisher.

After the rain had gone, birds in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this evening were four Whinchats, a Wheatear, a juvenile Marsh Harrier and two Barn Owls.

Regards

Neil M

Juvenile Marsh Harrier
at Summer Leys LNR
today courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Great White Egret at
Summer Leys LNR today
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Common Buzzard.

Carrion Crow.

Cooling down

Hello

Very much shorter days now as we move deeper in to autumn and with cooling temperatures too!

Quality birds remain at Summer Leys LNR with a Bittern on the scrape, a Marsh Harrier, three Garganey, six Great White Egrets, a Ruff and Green and Common Sandpipers.

Clifford Hill Pits still hosted the Black-necked Grebe, three Black Terns and six Whinchats and the Osprey was again over Elinor Lake, Thrapston Pits this morning. A Hobby was at Stortons Pits today.

At Pitsford Reservoir an Osprey was perched up in the Scaldwell Bay early this afternoon and possibly the same bird was watched flying south in earnest over the dam just before 3pm. A Wheatear was on the dam wall, a Stonechat was on the fence line below the dam and three Yellow-legged Gulls were also present.

At Stanford Reservoir there were three Common Sandpipers, a Kingfisher and the regular Ruddy Shelduck. Hollowell Reservoir provided views of a Whinchat, a Stonechat, a Hobby, six Great White Egrets and a Common Sandpiper.

Ravens were again at Hanging Houghton, there were two Spotted Flycatchers at Lamport Hall this afternoon and a Common Redstart was at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell. Two Whinchats were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning and two Golden Plovers flew over.

Regards

Neil M

Stonechat courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Migrant Hawker courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Hobby courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Black Terns and Sparrowhawks

Hello

Some more ringing at Brixworth Treatment works today yielded ninety-two captures which included two juvenile male Sparrowhawks, twelve Chiffchaffs, three Reed Warblers, a Sedge Warbler, a Garden Warbler, twenty-five Blackcaps, a Common Whitethroat which is at least five years old, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Grey Wagtail and a Spotted Flycatcher. At least one more Grey Wagtail was also present and a couple of Ravens were present for much of the morning.

A Marsh Harrier was briefly at Stanford Reservoir this morning and the Ruddy Shelduck and two Common Sandpipers were there too. A Black Tern was still at Eyebrook Reservoir today.

Clifford Hill Pits today hung on to the Black-necked Grebe plus three Black Terns, four Whinchats and a Spotted Flycatcher. Three Black Terns were at Sixfields Lake and Summer Leys provided views of a Bittern, a Marsh Harrier, nine Great White Egrets, at least one Garganey, a Pintail, a Hobby, a Ruff, two Common Sandpipers and a Black Tern.

A female Hen Harrier was watched and photographed flying south over Brixworth village and the Country Park this afternoon. Two Ravens were at Harrington Airfield and Hanging Houghton village and two new Common Redstarts were at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this afternoon. 

Birds in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this afternoon/evening amounted to four Whinchats, a Marsh Harrier and two Hobbies.

Regards

Neil M

The two juvenile male
Sparrowhawks caught and
ringed at Brixworth today.

Red Admiral - plenty on the
wing this week-end.

Lapwing.

Redshank courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Birds of Clifford Hill!

Hello

Mild, grey and at times drizzly conditions this morning with little wind provided an ideal opportunity for some ringing, this time at Brixworth Water Treatment Works. One hundred and eleven birds of nineteen species were processed, one hundred and one being entirely new birds. Forty-nine of those birds were warblers with twenty-five Blackcaps, a Garden Warbler, seven Common Whitethroats, three Reed Warblers, four Sedge Warblers, a Willow Warbler and eight Chiffchaffs. Much of the remainder were perhaps more local or sedentary birds but nine new Robins suggests perhaps birds from elsewhere. Two Grey Wagtails were on-site.

Clifford Hill Pits was the in-vogue place today with the Black-necked Grebe remaining plus four Common Scoters, four Avocets, two Turnstones, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Cattle Egret, a Black Tern, a fly-through Marsh Harrier, a Spotted Flycatcher, a Wheatear and six Whinchats - phew an amazing list of quality birds!

Thrapston Pits still retained an Osprey over Elinor Lake, ten Common Scoters in flight were reported and a Greenshank was on the Titchmarsh Reserve.

Summer Leys LNR managed a Marsh Harrier, two Garganey, four Common Snipe, four Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Ruff, two Kingfishers and a Water Rail.

Two Yellow-legged Gulls, a Redshank and two Grey Wagtails were present around the dam at Pitsford Reservoir and six Great White Egrets roosted north of the causeway this evening.

Stanford Reservoir provided records of the Ruddy Shelduck, three Common Sandpipers, a Great White Egret, a Kingfisher, a Hobby and a Water Rail. A Black Tern remained at Eyebrook Reservoir.

There were plenty of migrant passerines at Borough Hill Country Park, Daventry this afternoon with four Common Redstarts (three in one bush!), in excess of thirty Chiffchaffs, eighteen Common Whitethroats, ten Blackcaps, two Lesser Whitethroats, a Garden Warbler, two Spotted Flycatchers, two Whinchats and a Wheatear.

A first winter Caspian Gull was noted at Boddington Reservoir plus a flock of over a hundred Sand Martins.

This evening there were four Whinchats and a Barn Owl in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

Regards

Neil M

Juvenile Sedge Warbler
courtesy of Jane Neill.

Adult Common Whitethroat
courtesy of Jane Neill.

Red-legged Partridge.

The Sycamore moth caterpillar
courtesy of Neil Hasdell.

Sandwich Terns, Common Scoters and Marsh Harriers.

Hello

A warm day with temperatures locally at 24C with still a lively easterly breeze.

A Common Scoter had joined the Black-necked Grebe at Clifford Hill Pits this morning and six Whinchats were seen there too.

Summer Leys LNR had another busy day with a flock of six Sandwich Terns, two Marsh Harriers, two Garganey, at least six Great White Egrets, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Greenshank, four Green Sandpipers, and a Ruff. One of the Marsh harriers was seen to attack a Tufted Duck.

An Osprey was over the Elinor Lake at Thrapston Pits this afternoon and at least one Cattle Egret was at Stanwick Pits today.

Eyebrook Reservoir continued to host two Wood Sandpipers and a Black Tern remained there too.

Stanford Reservoir also secured two drake Common Scoters off the dam this morning with a Sandwich Tern there briefly and the female Ruddy Shelduck, two Hobbies and three Common Sandpipers were present. A Sandwich Tern flew north at Daventry Country Park at about 9.50am.

Six Great White Egrets flew over the dam in formation at Pitsford Reservoir this morning, moving off in a south-westerly direction. A single Ringed Plover was on the dam and at least four Yellow-legged Gulls were present. Two or three Grey Wagtails were in the Brampton Valley below Brixworth.

Notable birds in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton today were four Whinchats, a Marsh Harrier, a Barn Owl, a Green Sandpiper and two Hobbies.

Regards

Neil M

Garganey at Summer Leys LNR
courtesy of Neil Hasdell.

 

Hobby.

Comma butterfly.

Raven.

Cormorant.

Above four images courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

When the wind blows

Hello

Despite some constant wind, blustery at times, from the north-east, there is little change on the birding front in the county.

The exception seems to be Stanford Reservoir which had brief visitations from a Sandwich Tern this morning and a juvenile Little Gull this evening. A Hobby was also there with an Osprey at lunchtime.

Eyebrook Reservoir hosted a Black Tern, an Arctic Tern and two Wood Sandpipers.

The south end of Pitsford Reservoir was unremarkable despite a couple of visits there today, the best being four Yellow-legged Gulls, a Hobby and a Grey Wagtail.

A first winter Caspian Gull was seen at Daventry Country Park, two Common Sandpipers were at Boddington Reservoir and a juvenile Common Sandpiper showed well at Sixfields Lake Weir.

Clifford Hill Pits still hangs on to its Black-necked Grebe and Summer Leys LNR exhibited a Marsh Harrier, a Ruff, a Common Snipe and four Great White Egrets. The Titchmarsh Reserve at Thrapston Pits hosted a Hobby, a Greenshank, a Green Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper and a Common Snipe.

A Wheatear and a Green Sandpiper were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton this morning.

Regards

Neil M

Common Sandpiper.

Grey Wagtail.

Gadwall.

Above images courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Grey Heron.

Yellow-legged Gull.

Birds of early September

Hello

An early start at Pitsford Reservoir provided an opportunity to see an Osprey several times in the morning including fishing in the Scaldwell Bay. Other birds included four Great White Egrets, a Wheatear, a Kingfisher and two Common Sandpipers all north of the causeway.

An Osprey caught a fish at Hollowell Reservoir and a Whinchat was still present. A Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper and Wood Sandpiper were all still at Eyebrook Reservoir today. Stanford Reservoir provided the Ruddy Shelduck, a Hobby and a Common Sandpiper.

Two Marsh Harriers were at Summer Leys LNR this afternoon and a Bittern was at the Titchmarsh Reserve, Thrapston Pits (visible from North Hide) and an adult Yellow-legged Gull was also present.

Six Spotted Flycatchers and lots of Chiffchaffs were at Lamport Hall this afternoon and the Black-necked Grebe was still at Clifford Hill Pits today where there were also two Whinchats.

This evening there were four Whinchats, a Wheatear, a Hobby and two Barn Owls in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton.

Regards

Neil M

Wheatear.

Common Buzzard.

Red Admiral.

Images today from Pitsford Reservoir
courtesy of Tony Stanford.