More post-breeding dispersal

Hello

A Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was seen at Stanford Reservoir today where there were also three hundred Lesser Black-backed Gulls, three Oystercatchers, two Cuckoos including a rufous morph female and a Kingfisher.

A Little Owl was showing nicely at Hanging Houghton this afternoon with a Barn Owl in the Brampton Valley below the village this morning.

More post-breeding dispersal today with a Curlew and two Redshanks at Clifford Hill Pits and the two summer plumage Mediterranean Gulls were again at Summer Leys LNR this afternoon - they may have left it a bit late to breed locally this year. Four Hobbies and six Egyptian Geese were at Earls Barton Pits at the older end of the complex.

A Great White Egret, two Egyptian Geese and a Grey Wagtail were in the Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Reservoir today; the best of the odonata on show being Four-spotted Chasers and Beautiful Demoiselles.

Regards

Neil M

Efforts at opening up
the old oak woodland in the
 Walgrave Bay at Pitsford Reservoir
 have provided an opportunity for
dormant seed banks to germinate - 
resulting in an impressive display 
of Foxgloves.

This first year male
Sparrowhawk was photographed
by Tony Stanford and exhibits a
curious elongated toe on it's
left foot.

Small Tortoiseshell butterfly.

Autumn birds already!

Hello

Two Spoonbills dropped into Eyebrook Reservoir today before going again in between showers and Stanford Reservoir again provided the 'reeling' Grasshopper Warbler, an Oystercatcher, two Cuckoos, two Kingfishers and two Cetti's Warblers.

In the Nene Valley the Summer Leys LNR provided two adult Mediterranean Gulls, a Caspian Gull briefly and a Ringed Plover. At the Whiston Wetlands/Earls Barton New Workings there were six Avocets and a Green Sandpiper.

A Spotted Flycatcher was at Beck Dairy, Cottesbrooke this morning.

Regards

Neil M

Green Sandpiper.

Lapwing.

Juvenile Grey Wagtail.

Reed Warbler.

All images courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Returning Lapwings and
Green Sandpipers are already
post-breeding migrants and 
summer hasn't arrived yet!

A wet summer beckoning?

Hello

A bit more showery stuff today than I was expecting but some nice weather in between. The rain will be a feature for tomorrow seemingly with a particularly wet afternoon forecast.

Today and the Grasshopper Warbler was still 'reeling' at Stanford Reservoir and where a fishing Osprey was at lunchtime. Other birds were two Oystercatchers and a Cuckoo.

Single Sanderlings were noted at Eyebrook Reservoir and Clifford Hill Pits, two Oystercatchers were in the Welland Valley below Cottingham and a pair of Peregrines were on St Dionysius church spire at Market Harborough with no apparent indication of breeding there.

Whiston Wetlands/Earls Barton New Workings today held seven Avocets, two Dunlin, four Oystercatchers, four Redshanks, a Peregrine and two Barn Owls.

Six Common Cranes seen flying over Grendon Lakes this evening was a good record and this afternoon an Osprey was seen to catch a Bream at Hollowell Reservoir. During the last three days over a hundred Common Swifts have been busy feeding north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir, a small percentage of the huge flocks we used to see there on cool June days twenty or more years ago!

In a good year for Black Hairstreak butterflies, a number of new sites have been found which included Twywell Hills and Vales and Stanwick Pits as this species begins to extend it's range after years of stubbornly being found only at a couple of key sites. Although it's not happening in our garden yet, Scarlet Tiger moths are now being seen on the wing, mostly in urban and sub-urban gardens. Among other butterflies, Marbled White emerged at Collyweston quarry today.

Odonata on the wing in the Welland Valley just upstream from Gretton Weir included Hairy Hawkers, White-legged Damselflies and Banded Demoiselles.

Regards

Neil M

Peregrine courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Black Hairstreak butterfly
courtesy of Neil Hasdell.

Marbled White butterfly
courtesy of David Arden.

Swallow courtesy
of Dave Jackson.

The overdue wet weather!

Hello 

A very wet day in the county and some similar weather forecast for Saturday too!

Yesterday a Crossbill was over Irthlingborough and today a Cattle Egret in breeding plumage was at Stanwick Pits.

Two Spotted Flycatchers visited a Hollowell village garden today and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was heard at Hanging Houghton at lunchtime.

A Sanderling remained at Clifford Hill Pits this morning and at Stanford Reservoir two Cuckoos included a rufous-phase female and other birds were a Kingfisher and two Oystercatchers. A Curlew was noted at Ring Haw, Old Sulehay early this afternoon.

Regards

Neil M

Common Wool Carder Bees on
'Lambs Ears' courtesy
of Jim Dunkley.

Avocets at Whiston
Wetlands courtesy of
Jim Dunkley.

Great Crested Grebes
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Common Tern courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Little Owls, a Quail and interesting insects.

Hello

Stanford Reservoir had a productive morning with an Osprey briefly and still singing singles of Quail and Grasshopper Warbler. Two Oystercatchers and two Cuckoos were also there.

At Pitsford Reservoir an adult Yellow-legged Gull was off the dam this morning and Clifford Hill Pits catered for a Sanderling, two Ringed Plovers and two Little Ringed Plovers.

The Earls Barton New Workings/Whiston Wetlands area provided views of four Avocets including a half-grown youngster, a Black-tailed Godwit, two Little Ringed Plovers, a Hobby, a Cuckoo and a Grey Partridge.

Four Green-eyed (or Norfolk) Hawkers were seen at Wicksteed Park Lake today and a Little Owl was vocal at Hanging Houghton and also where Currant Clearwing moths came to a lure. A pair of Little Owls near to Scaldwell village have young and a Hobby was at Blueberry Farm, Maidwell this afternoon.

Regards

Neil M

Little Owl.

Green-veined White.

Great White Egret
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Cool start to June

Hello

Windy and wet this morning but better this afternoon and mostly dry with a little sun.

The singing Quail was still audible at Stanford Reservoir at lunchtime today and the Grasshopper Warbler was still 'reeling' too. Other birds included three Oystercatchers, a Kingfisher and a Cuckoo.

Two Avocets were at Summer Leys LNR this morning, a Dunlin and a Little Ringed Plover were at Titchmarsh Nature Reserve at Thrapston Pits and an Osprey was again north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir this afternoon.

An adult female Peregrine was on St Dionysius church spire in Market Harborough town centre this afternoon and a Barn Owl was at Hanging Houghton this evening.

Regards

Neil M

Cuckoo.

White-legged Damselfly.

Four-spotted Chaser.

Pitsford Common Bird Census

Hello

I spent the first half of the day completing a Common Bird Census around the reserve section of Pitsford Reservoir. I use this as an excuse to go looking for interesting insects, mammals etc too. Seven hours of surveying saw me meet just one other person, something that makes the reserve very special if you enjoy taking in the wildlife around you without the people for a change. The best birds were probably a Barn Owl, a Hobby, a Yellow-legged Gull and two Great White Egrets (in non-breeding plumage) and also a Little Egret, a drake Wigeon, a small collection of Gadwall and a Raven family.

Crossbills were heard calling in the Walgrave Bay and may not have lingered and it was concerning how few contacts I had with Marsh Tit (one bird), two Bullfinch contacts only and only one singing Lesser Whitethroat. Although singing on-site earlier in the spring there were no singing Willow Warblers and just one territory of Sedge Warbler. Twenty singing Garden Warblers is also low but there were many more in May and hopefully they are busy feeding broods of young rather than singing.

A Grass Snake was seen briefly, in all probability the only species of reptile on-site and very much reduced in number over the last couple of decades. Odonata comprised of Broad-bodied and Four-spotted Chasers plus Common Blue Damselflies and Large Red-eyed Damselflies but there will be other species I missed. Five species of butterfly included my first Meadow Browns of the year.

At Stanford Reservoir the Grasshopper Warbler was 'reeling' again this morning and a Quail was heard singing near the dam this evening. Two Cuckoos were also present.

Another Grasshopper Warbler was showing well near the layby entrance of Whiston Wetlands this morning. A Siskin was heard calling flying over Hanging Houghton early this morning.

On this blog the pages for the two Camargue in Spring tours and the Romanian tour to the Carpathians and Danube Delta have been updated with additional images.

Regards

Neil M

Common Blue Damselfly.

Juvenile Carrion Crow.

Ovipositoring female
Broad-bodied Chaser.

Male Broad-bodied Chaser.

Recently-emerged
Broad-bodied Chaser.

Large Red-eyed Damselfly.

All images from Pitsford
Reservoir today.

Slim pickings

Hello

Bits and pieces today included two Avocets and a Raven at Whiston Wetlands/New Workings in the Nene Valley, an early morning Barn Owl in Hanging Houghton village and a 'reeling' Grasshopper Warbler at Stanford Reservoir where also two Cuckoos and two Oystercatchers. Two Little Owls were active near Scaldwell village this evening

Large numbers of Black Hairstreak butterflies were on-site at Glapthorn Cow Pastures today and smaller numbers were found at a couple of spots at Fineshade Wood too. Wood White butterflies at Salcey Forest were along the wide ride running north from the Horsebox car park.

Regards

Neil M

Mute Swans.

Spotted Flycatcher.

Sedge Warbler.

Egyptian Geese.

Images courtesy of
Tony Stanford.

Ringing the young birds

Hello

A very warm and pleasant day brought forth a host of insects, almost as good as the old days!

Yesterday (Friday) and local birds included a Cuckoo north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir and a Common Sandpiper still on the dam. Stanford Reservoir again recorded two Cuckoos, two Oystercatchers and a Cetti's Warbler. A Grey Wagtail was at Swanspool, Wellingborough and singles of Hobby were at Hanging Houghton and Harrington Airfield. The New Workings/Whiston Wetlands in the Nene Valley attracted eight adult Avocets plus a single surviving chick from the breeding efforts there. Other birds were the long-staying drake Red-crested Pochard and a Ringed Plover and a Great White Egret. Two Barn Owls were in the Brampton Valley below Hanging Houghton in the evening.

Today (Saturday) and there were a series of reports of an Osprey north of the causeway at Pitsford Reservoir during the day and a Cuckoo was still calling on the reserve. Six Lapwings and a Teal were post-breeding wanderers. Insects included quite a number of Beautiful Demoiselles and there were a variety of butterflies in the meadows plus Chimney Sweeper moths and a Yellow-barred Long-horn moth was noted.

A Glossy Ibis was reported from Summer Leys LNR today and a Little Tern was at Eyebrook Reservoir. Two Ravens were noted at Cogenhoe and odonata at Ringstead Pits included Blue Emperors and Scarce Chasers on Kinewell Lake.

Ringing efforts from Northants Ringing Group volunteers caused eleven Jackdaws, two Stock Doves, six Mallards, eighteen Black-headed Gull chicks and twelve Sand Martins nestlings to be ringed at Pitsford Reservoir. At Stortons Pits forty-four birds were successfully processed of sixteen species including a juvenile Goldcrest, three Sedge Warblers, five Garden Warblers, a Blackcap, three Common Whitethroats, six Reed Warblers, two Cetti's Warblers, four Song Thrushes and four Goldfinches.

At Linford Pits, Milton Keynes Kenny and team had an intensive session which provided sixteen Reed Warbler chicks in four nests and an amazing four new Cuckoos! It was a baby bird boom with lots of young tits, Blackcaps, Treecreepers, Goldfinches and Greenfinches finding themselves briefly in mist nets which helped in resulting in a large total of one hundred and twenty-six birds of twenty species being processed. A Ring-necked Parakeet was heard flying over.

Regards

Neil M

Cuckoos courtesy
of Kenny Cramer.

Nestling Jackdaw courtesy
of Michelle Spinks.

Chimney Sweeper moth
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Jaeger is competing this
week-end and achieved a
first place today well ahead
of his nearest competitor.

Pitsford wildlife

Hello

The spring migration has scaled down now and apart from the possibility of a couple of overshoots or late waders most of the action locally is our breeding birds and emerging insects.

At Pitsford Reservoir today an Osprey showed a couple of times north of the causeway where there was also a Cuckoo and a Hobby. Butterflies in the Scaldwell Meadow included Common Blue, Small Heath, Small Copper and Large Skipper. A Common Sandpiper was seen on the dam.

There were plenty of emerging Black Hairstreak butterflies at Glapthorn Cow Pastures today and despite the windy conditions a large emergence of Scarlet Tiger moths in a Northampton garden.

A Grey Plover was seen at Summer Leys LNR today and a Barnacle Goose appeared at Clifford Hill Pits this morning.

Birds at Stanford Reservoir included three Oystercatchers, three Kingfishers and two Cuckoos still.

More images have been added to the Provence in Spring 2025 page/tab.

Regards

Neil M

Grey Plover courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Turnstones and Sanderling
courtesy of Tony Stanford.

Common Blue.

Small Copper.

Small Heath.

Large Skipper.

All butterfly images and 
video of feeding Gadwall
courtesy of Neil Hasdell
from Pitsford Reservoir today.

Spring into Summer

Hello

Local birds of interest were again limited today but at Pitsford Reservoir there was an adult Yellow-legged Gull off the dam and an Osprey and two Hobbies were north of the causeway.

At Stanford Reservoir there were three Oystercatchers, two Cuckoos and a Kingfisher and at Clifford Hill Pits this morning there was a Cattle Egret and two Avocets. Summer Leys LNR attracted a Dunlin plus Redshanks and Little Ringed Plovers.

An adult Kittiwake was briefly at Titchmarsh LNR at Thrapston Pits at lunchtime before flying south. A pair of Grey Partridges were at Harrington Airfield this evening.

Regards

Neil M

Brooding skies over
Harrington Airfield
this evening.

Cattle Egret at Clifford
Hill Pits this morning.

Great White Egret.

Little Egret.

All egret images courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Ringing recoveries

Hello

A wet and windy day and consequently there were few reported sightings in the county.

Two Avocets were at Clifford Hill Pits again this morning and Eyebrook Reservoir attracted five Sanderling and twenty-two Ringed Plovers. At Stanwick Pits there was a drake Mandarin Duck, four Ringed Plovers and a hepatic female Cuckoo.

A Ringed Plover was at Hollowell Reservoir this afternoon and two Yellow-legged Gulls were off the dam at Pitsford Reservoir this morning with three Kingfishers and a Cuckoo at Stanford Reservoir.

Recent ringing recoveries associated with Northants Ringing Group activities are as follows:-

1. A nestling Sand Martin was ringed at Lax Hill, Rutland Water on 8th July 2022 and caught in a mist net at Pitsford Reservoir on 24th April 2025 when believed to be a breeding female. Although the two sites are only 37km apart this small hirundine will have visited and wintered in Africa on three occasions;

2. A first year male Blackcap was ringed at Linford Lakes, Milton Keynes on 18th August 2024 and found dead in a garden, perhaps having collided with a patio window, at Harpenden, Hertfordshire on12th April 2025, 237 days later and 42km away;

3. A nestling Barn Owl was ringed at a confidential site in Northamptonshire on 8th August 2024 and watched hunting at Piddington on 11th April 2025 when the ring was successfully read in the field, 246 days later and 10km from where first ringed;

4. An adult male Blackbird was ringed in Scaldwell village on 8th June 2024 but was found dead after hitting a window in the same village on 12th April 2025, 308 days later;

5. A juvenile female Starling was ringed at Hanging Houghton on 15th September 2021 and photographed feeding on a Kingsthorpe lawn 9km to the south on 26th April 2025, 1319 days later;

6. A juvenile male Starling was ringed at Hanging Houghton on 26th June 2020 and it's remnants were found in a Peregrine pellet at Kettering on 19th April 2025, 1758 days later and 14km to the north-east. Starlings are a favourite Peregrine prey item;

7. An adult Reed Warbler was ringed at Linford Lakes, Milton Keynes on 30th August 2020 and it was seen at Bradville, Milton Keynes on 21st April 2025 1695 days later when amazingly the ring was read in the field;

8. An adult Reed Warbler was ringed near Brixworth on 17th July 2020 and re-trapped again at Stanford Reservoir on 30th April 2025, 1748 days later with at least six visits to Africa under it's belt;

9. Three Goldfinches ringed in Northants have been re-trapped in Scotland as follows...

(i) A bird ringed at Pitsford Reservoir on 27th December 2024 was caught again at Barsalloch Point near Monreith, Dumfries and Galloway on 13th April 2025, 107 days later with the finch having travelled 362km to the North West;

(ii) A first year male was ringed at Greens Norton on 16th November 2024 and caught again at Leswalt, Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway on 15th April and 21st April this year, 410 km away;

(iii) A first year male was ringed at Courteenhall on 12th October 2023 and caught again at Sliddery, North Ayrshire on 14th April 2025 550 days later and 466km away on a North West trajectory.

Regards

Neil M

Reed Warbler courtesy
of Tony Stanford.

Pied Wagtail courtesy
of John Tilly.

Starling courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Goldfinch courtesy
of Robin Gossage.